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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 · bark · mouse · calf · stem · spring · board · wake

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. spring — a coil
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. spring — the season
  9. board — to get on
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. board — a committee
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. spring — of water
  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