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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: stick · fall · rest · sharp · cabinet · rule · net · straw

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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. sharp — exactly
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. net — in sport
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. net — after costs
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rest — a break
  20. fall — the season
  21. net — for catching
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rule — government
  24. straw — a straw man

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