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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fall — to drop
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stem — to come from
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stand — to bear
  19. fall — to drop
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fall — the season

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