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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: craft · hide · tube · stem · bowl · cabinet · rule · stick

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stem — to come from
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. tube — a container
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. craft — boats
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rule — government
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. tube — the underground

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