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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. date — the fruit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fall — the season
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stem — to come from
  11. kick — in football
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. wound — an injury
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fall — to drop

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