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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: leaves · field · lean · cold · squash · cabinet · stand · rush

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. field — farmland
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cold — an illness
  14. squash — to crush
  15. field — a subject
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. field — for sport
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. leaves — to go away

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