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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
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: march · fall · cabinet · present · bank · stem · cue · fan

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stem — to come from
  3. present — there
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fall — to drop
  7. march — music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. present — a gift
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. present — the time now
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bank — for money
  16. march — the month
  17. cue — a signal
  18. march — the month
  19. fall — the season
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cue — for pool

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