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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 116 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: fall · stem · charge · firm · band · cabinet · lean · tube

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. fall — the season
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tube — a container
  8. lean — thin
  9. charge — electricity
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. charge — a price
  14. fall — to drop
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. charge — in control
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. band — a ring
  21. lean — to bend
  22. band — a music group
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cabinet — ministers

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