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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: staff · arm · fine · saw · cabinet · band · firm · stem

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. firm — steady
  6. staff — employees
  7. stem — to come from
  8. firm — a company
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. band — a ring
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fine — all right
  19. band — a music group
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. firm — decided
  23. saw — the tool
  24. staff — employees

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