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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: cabinet · shower · trunk · stem · pass · pitcher · fine · kick

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pass — a permit
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. kick — in football
  11. fine — all right
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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