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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 120 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: cabinet · spell · snap · stem · mate · can · fall · hand

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. spell — magic
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. hand — help
  8. can — to be able to
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mate — a friend
  12. can — a tin
  13. spell — letters
  14. fall — to drop
  15. snap — to click
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. can — a tin
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fall — the season

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