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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 116 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: hand · suit · kid · stem · lie · object · spring · club

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. kid — child
  3. object — an aim
  4. club — for golf
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kid — to tease
  7. spring — of water
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. hand — help
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. club — for dancing
  14. object — a thing
  15. hand — in cards
  16. spring — the season
  17. lie — to recline
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. object — to protest
  20. suit — clothes
  21. club — a group
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. spring — a coil
  24. suit — in cards

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