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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 116 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. saw — the tool
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mark — a trace
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cold — not warm
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cabinet — ministers

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