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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: stand · rush · board · wind · stock · season · fall · cabinet

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stock — shares
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. fall — the season
  9. board — to get on
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stock — goods
  14. fall — to drop
  15. season — of the year
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. board — a committee
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. season — in sport

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