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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cabinet · bass · snap · hide · saw · bound · calf

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. snap — to click
  4. stem — to come from
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bass — low music
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bound — obliged
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. calf — a young 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