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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: cabinet · stem · squash · stick · bound · chest · plane · rash

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bound — tied together
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. squash — to crush
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bound — certain
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. chest — a box
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rash — a series
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rash — hasty

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