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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: wind · game · stem · chest · pound · object · plane · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chest — a box
  3. pound — a weight
  4. object — an aim
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. chest — of your body
  8. game — a match
  9. plane — a tool
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stem — to come from
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. object — to protest
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. object — a thing
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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