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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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Word bank
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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: mate · tube · chest · fall · stand · cabinet · fine · swing

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mate — a friend
  6. chest — a box
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. tube — a container
  9. swing — to play on
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fall — the season
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mate — to breed
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stand — to bear
  18. swing — in golf
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fall — to drop
  22. swing — music
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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