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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.

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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: suit · snap · court · firm · staff · stem · spring · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. spring — a coil
  4. suit — clothes
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. suit — in cards
  7. spring — of water
  8. suit — to fit
  9. staff — employees
  10. firm — decided
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. stem — to come from
  16. spring — the season
  17. staff — employees
  18. court — of law
  19. staff — a stick
  20. snap — to click
  21. court — for sport
  22. firm — steady
  23. court — of a king
  24. firm — a company

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