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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ball · chest · cabinet · stem · current · nail · straw · perch

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stem — to come from
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. perch — the fish
  7. ball — a great time
  8. chest — of your body
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. current — electric
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chest — a box
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. current — happening now
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. current — of water
  23. chest — of your body
  24. ball — a dance

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