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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stem · club · mate · pitcher · hide · plane · mark

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mark — a grade
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. plane — a tool
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. kid — child
  13. stem — to come from
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mate — a friend
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mate — a partner
  21. club — for golf
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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