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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bass — low music
  6. board — to get on
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bass — the fish
  9. board — a committee
  10. spring — of water
  11. stem — to come from
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hand — help
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. spring — the season
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mouse — the animal

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