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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 120 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: hand · ball · suit · cabinet · stem · rash · bark · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. hand — help
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. suit — to fit
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. ball — a great time
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. firm — a company
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. firm — decided
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. stem — to come from
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bark — to shout

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