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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: club · lie · stem · lean · cabinet · fan · deal · stick

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. club — for dancing
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. club — for golf
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. club — a group
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. stem — to come from
  24. deal — to handle

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