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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: cabinet · coach · toast · stem · pass · firm · wind · object

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. firm — a company
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. firm — steady
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stem — to come from
  10. firm — decided
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. object — a thing
  19. toast — bread
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pass — a permit
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving 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