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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: dip · craft · cap · cabinet · rule · mine · stand · fall

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cap — of ice
  6. rule — government
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rule — a law
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. dip — to sink

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