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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: stem · season · rest · cabinet · bound · net · wake · arm

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. net — after costs
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. season — of the year
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. net — in sport
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bound — certain
  15. rest — a break
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rest — what's left
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. season — in sport
  24. stem — to come from

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