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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pop — soda
  3. can — to be able to
  4. board — to get on
  5. kid — to tease
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. board — a committee
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. can — a tin
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pop — music
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pop — to visit
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. kid — child
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. plane — a tool
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. can — a tin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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