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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 120 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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 — of a plant
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cue — a hint
  8. hand — help
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mark — a grade
  11. kid — child
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cue — a signal
  19. kid — to tease
  20. present — the time now
  21. stem — to come from
  22. present — a gift
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. present — there

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