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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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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: lash · safe · wound · stem · cold · cabinet · stand · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stem — to come from
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. fall — the season
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — not warm

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