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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.

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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: fine · cabinet · wake · tube · chair · season · stem · suit

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fine — all right
  5. suit — in cards
  6. season — of the year
  7. suit — clothes
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. tube — the underground
  18. stem — to come from
  19. season — in sport
  20. tube — a container
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. chair — a leader
  24. cabinet — ministers

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