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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.

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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: fine · kick · tear · stem · cabinet · stand · race · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fine — all right
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stem — to come from
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. race — a contest
  10. tear — from crying
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. kick — in football
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. race — the arms race
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. tear — to rip
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. race — humankind
  24. stand — to bear

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