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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: fine · stem · spring · cabinet · rash · snap · game · calf

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fine — all right
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a match
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — hasty
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. spring — of water
  15. rash — a series
  16. snap — to click
  17. spring — the season
  18. fine — high quality
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. spring — a coil
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. calf — of the leg

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