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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: stem · cue · spell · cabinet · hide · wound · can · game

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cue — for pool
  6. spell — letters
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cue — a hint
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. can — a tin
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. game — a match
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. can — a tin
  21. game — wild animals
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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