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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: roll · snap · field · cabinet · firm · stem · fall · jam

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. snap — to click
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stem — to come from
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. fall — the season
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. firm — decided
  12. roll — a cake
  13. firm — a company
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. field — farmland
  16. roll — a list
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. firm — steady
  20. field — a subject
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. field — for sport
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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