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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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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: fork · row · stem · pass · fall · fan · object · foot

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pass — a permit
  4. object — a thing
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stem — to come from
  9. object — an aim
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fall — the season
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. object — to protest
  23. row — a line
  24. fan — to cool the air

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