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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.

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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: stem · rest · cabinet · wound · rock · squash · drill · cap

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rock — a stone
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rock — music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rest — a break
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. drill — army training
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stem — to come from

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