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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: row · plane · wound · hide · bay · dip · stem · pitcher

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stem — to come from
  8. row — a line
  9. plane — a tool
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. row — to paddle
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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