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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: firm · cabinet · roll · file · object · stem · wound · mug

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. firm — steady
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. file — a tool
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mug — a face
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. object — to protest
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wound — an injury
  17. object — a thing
  18. file — a document
  19. stem — to come from
  20. object — an aim
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. roll — a list
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mug — a cup

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