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

Word bank: stem · squash · cell · hide · bank · kid

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bank — of a river
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. kid — child
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bank — for money
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. squash — the sport
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bank — for money
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. squash — to crush

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