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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: land · field · bank · fall · foot · cabinet · leaves · rule

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. fall — the season
  4. field — a subject
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bank — for money
  10. field — for sport
  11. rule — a law
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. field — farmland
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bank — for money
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fall — to drop
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. land — to come down
  23. rule — government
  24. leaves — of a tree

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