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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
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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: date · can · cabinet · face · game · mate · lash · stem

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. face — to point toward
  7. can — a tin
  8. mate — a partner
  9. stem — to come from
  10. face — to confront
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. face — part of the head
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mate — a friend
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mate — to breed

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