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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: stem · cabinet · chest · rock · ruler · board · face · firm

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rock — a stone
  4. chest — of your body
  5. face — to confront
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. chest — a box
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. firm — decided
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. face — to point toward
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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