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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 120 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: stand · lean · board · stem · game · arm · spell · cabinet

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spell — a short time
  7. board — to get on
  8. game — wild animals
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lean — thin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. spell — magic
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spell — letters
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stand — to bear
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stem — to come from
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stand — on your feet

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