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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 · cabinet · current · swing · plane · game · calf · toast

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. current — electric
  3. swing — music
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. toast — bread
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. plane — a tool
  15. current — happening now
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. swing — in golf
  22. current — of water
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. plane — an aircraft

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