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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: fall · lie · date · cabinet · object · net · cap · wake

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cap — a hat
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. net — for catching
  8. object — a thing
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. net — after costs
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. date — the fruit
  14. wake — a trail
  15. object — to protest
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fall — the season
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. object — an aim
  24. net — 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