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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 · cabinet · rash · rule · leaves · saw · hand · pop

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rule — a law
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. hand — help
  5. pop — music
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pop — soda
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rash — a series
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rash — hasty
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. hand — in cards
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pop — to visit
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. saw — the tool

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