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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: mark · suit · plane · stem · hand · cell · fork · hide

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. plane — a tool
  7. suit — clothes
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hand — in cards
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stem — to come from
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. cell — in biology
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mark — a trace
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. mark — a grade
  24. hide — to keep secret

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