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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: tube · straw · stand · pass · cabinet · pound · fall · mouse

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. fall — the season
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tube — a container
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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