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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: squash · kid · rush · bay · net · cabinet · stem · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rush — hurry
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. net — for catching
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. kid — child
  16. net — after costs
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. net — in sport
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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