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

Word bank: board · chair · stem · deal · stand · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stand — to bear
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chair — a leader
  8. board — to get on
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. fall — the season
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. board — a committee
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. board — a flat piece

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