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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 116 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: cabinet · trunk · game · stem · current · nail · content · kid

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. stem — to come from
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. content — the amount
  12. current — electric
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. content — happy
  20. kid — child
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. kid — to tease
  24. game — wild animals

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