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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: mate · hide · deal · stem · fork · sharp · straw · pass

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mate — a friend
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pass — a permit
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fork — in a road
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. sharp — clever
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stem — to come from
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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