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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: drill · cabinet · season · fall · stem · current · squash · bank

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. squash — the sport
  4. current — of water
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. season — of the year
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bank — of a river
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bank — for money
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. squash — to crush
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. current — electric
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — a practice

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