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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wake · chip · scale · cold · stand · shower · stem

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. chip — to eat
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. shower — to wash
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cold — an illness
  23. shower — rain
  24. cold — not warm

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