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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.

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: cabinet · bay · fan · mouse · bark · lean · fall · stem

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. stem — to come from
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lean — thin
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stem — of a plant

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