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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: kid · suit · hide · rush · sharp · saw · stem · plane

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rush — hurry
  5. kid — child
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. kid — to tease
  10. saw — the tool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. plane — a tool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stem — to come from
  17. suit — to fit
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. stem — a stem cell

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