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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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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: hand · wound · roll · stem · cabinet · row · ruler · suit

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. suit — clothes
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. row — to paddle
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. hand — help
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. roll — a list
  17. stem — to come from
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. roll — a cake
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. row — a line
  24. wound — an injury

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