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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.

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 · key · mine · pop · kid · bound · stem · perch

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mine — for digging
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. key — in music
  7. kid — child
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bound — certain
  11. key — for a lock
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pop — to visit
  14. key — the most important part
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pop — soda
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pop — music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stem — of a plant

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