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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: staff · hand · cabinet · board · trunk · stand

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. board — to get on
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. hand — help
  11. board — a committee
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. hand — in cards
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. staff — employees

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