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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: hand · snap · cabinet · dip · temple · fall · stand · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. hand — help
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. track — a path
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. fall — to drop
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hand — in cards
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. snap — to click
  19. track — a song
  20. fall — the season
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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