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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: stem · wound · tear · arm · ball · saw · coach · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ball — a dance
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. tear — to rip
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stem — to come from
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. ball — a great time
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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