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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: cap · cell · mate · lie · arm · hide · hand · stem

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mate — to breed
  3. hand — help
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cap — a lid
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. cell — in biology
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mate — a friend
  21. cell — a phone
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. arm — part of the body

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