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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: cabinet · row · board · leaves · stem · spring · saw · jam

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. stem — to come from
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. board — a committee
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. board — to get on
  22. spring — a coil
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. jam — in traffic

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