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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 · band · key · game · cell · cabinet · rule · rush

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rush — hurry
  3. game — wild animals
  4. key — the most important part
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. key — in music
  9. band — a ring
  10. rule — government
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stem — to come from
  14. band — a music group
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cell — a phone
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rule — a law
  22. cell — in biology
  23. game — a match
  24. rush — to hurry

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