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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mine — for digging
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. sharp — clever
  24. club — for dancing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com