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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 · calf · firm · wake · content · file · stem · saw

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. firm — steady
  3. file — a tool
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. file — a document
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. firm — decided
  17. stem — to come from
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. firm — a company
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wake — a trail

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