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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.

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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: lean · can · fan · track · rule · staff · file · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. can — a tin
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. lean — thin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rule — government
  7. track — to keep track
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. can — a tin
  11. file — a document
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. can — to be able to
  15. staff — employees
  16. file — a line of people
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. track — a path
  20. rule — a law
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. file — a tool
  23. track — a song
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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