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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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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: stand · lie · can · stem · squash · net · cabinet · ground

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. can — a tin
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. net — for catching
  11. ground — crushed
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. net — in sport
  18. ground — a position
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. net — after costs

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