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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: cabinet · lie · ruler · fork · can · march · fan · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. can — a tin
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. march — the month
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. march — music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. can — to be able to
  18. lie — to recline
  19. can — a tin
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. march — the month

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