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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · present · game · cabinet · stem · wax · track · deal

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. fall — to drop
  3. present — a gift
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. game — a match
  11. deal — to handle
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. game — wild animals
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fall — to drop
  19. track — a song
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. present — there
  22. fall — the season
  23. track — a path
  24. stem — a stem cell

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