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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: content · kick · stem · bear · stand · cabinet · land · rock

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. content — the amount
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rock — music
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. land — ground
  12. rock — a stone
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stem — to come from
  15. land — to come down
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. content — happy
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. kick — in football
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. land — a country

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