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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: land · charge · lie · toast · stem · cabinet · pop · stand

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. charge — electricity
  4. land — to come down
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. toast — bread
  11. charge — in control
  12. land — a country
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. charge — a price
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — music
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pop — soda
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. land — ground

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