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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 116 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: rest · cell · current · field · firm · fall · cabinet · deal

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rest — what's left
  5. current — of water
  6. cell — in biology
  7. fall — to drop
  8. current — electric
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. cell — a phone
  11. rest — a break
  12. firm — steady
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. firm — a company
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rest — what's left
  20. field — farmland
  21. firm — decided
  22. fall — the season
  23. current — happening now
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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