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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · can · cap · net · stem · lean · charge · cold

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. can — a tin
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cap — a hat
  6. charge — in control
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cap — of ice
  9. net — for catching
  10. cold — not warm
  11. net — after costs
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fall — the season
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stem — to come from
  16. lean — thin
  17. cap — a lid
  18. charge — a price
  19. fall — to drop
  20. can — a tin
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. net — in sport
  23. can — to be able to
  24. lean — to rest against

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