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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: lie · tear · stem · drill · stand · firm · cabinet · lash

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stand — to bear
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. firm — decided
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. tear — to rip
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. drill — army training
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cabinet — ministers

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