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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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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: scale · stem · fall · track · can · kid · hide · hand

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. can — a tin
  5. scale — size or range
  6. can — to be able to
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. scale — in music
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. fall — to drop
  12. kid — to tease
  13. track — a path
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. can — a tin
  18. track — to keep track
  19. kid — child
  20. fall — to drop
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. track — a song
  23. hand — help
  24. stem — to come from

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