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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 · shower · cabinet · hand · pitcher · face · board · mark

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. hand — in cards
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. hand — help
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. shower — rain
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. board — a committee
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. stem — to come from
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. face — to point toward
  19. board — to get on
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. face — to confront

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