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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: current · spell · cabinet · pop · stem · coach · shower · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. pop — music
  9. stem — to come from
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spell — letters
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. spell — magic
  18. current — of water
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pop — soda
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. shower — to wash
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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