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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: leaves · rest · stick · file · staff · kid · march · rock

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. file — a document
  3. staff — employees
  4. file — a tool
  5. staff — employees
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. file — a line of people
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. kid — to tease
  17. staff — a stick
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. march — the month
  20. rock — a stone
  21. kid — child
  22. rest — a break
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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