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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mark — a grade
  8. stem — to come from
  9. wax — to grow
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. press — to push
  13. cell — a phone
  14. press — newspapers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. mark — a trace
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cell — in a prison

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