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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: stem · plane · cabinet · fork · spell · bound · key · bore

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. key — the most important part
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. spell — magic
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bound — certain
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stem — to come from
  14. plane — a tool
  15. key — in music
  16. spell — letters
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stem — of a plant

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