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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: mouse · stand · mug · cell · mark · stem · tear · fall

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fall — the season
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mark — a grade
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cell — a phone
  14. mug — a cup
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mug — to rob
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mug — a face
  22. tear — to rip
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. mark — a trace

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