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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: cabinet · row · stem · face · swing · hand · last · can

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. swing — music
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stem — to come from
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. can — to be able to
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. hand — help
  10. swing — to play on
  11. last — finally
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. last — final
  16. can — a tin
  17. face — to point toward
  18. can — a tin
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. last — to go on
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. swing — in golf
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. row — a line

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