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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: staff · squash · face · game · mate · stem · board · cabinet

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. face — to point toward
  5. mate — a partner
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. mate — to breed
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. staff — employees
  12. game — a match
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. staff — a stick
  15. board — a committee
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stem — to come from
  18. game — wild animals
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mate — a friend
  22. staff — employees
  23. board — to get on
  24. squash — the vegetable

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