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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 120 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: cabinet · foot · stand · fall · hide · content · bass · snap

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. content — happy
  5. bass — the fish
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bass — low music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. snap — to click
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. fall — the season
  16. stand — to bear
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. fall — to drop
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. content — the amount

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