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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 124 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stem — to come from
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — ground
  8. kid — child
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. land — a country
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pass — a permit
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. branch — a division
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. kid — to tease
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. racket — a loud noise

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