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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.

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: dip · stand · cue · fall · season · staff · rock · trunk

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. season — of the year
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. staff — employees
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. staff — a stick
  9. cue — a signal
  10. staff — employees
  11. rock — music
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fall — the season
  24. rock — a stone

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