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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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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 · lie · charge · kick · wake · fan · stem · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — to come from
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wake — a trail
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. charge — a price
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cap — a hat
  16. charge — in control
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cap — a lid

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