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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: can · rest · game · file · arm · stick · fall · lie

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. can — a tin
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rest — a break
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. can — a tin
  9. file — a tool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rest — what's left
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. file — a document
  18. can — to be able to
  19. file — a line of people
  20. lie — to recline
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fall — the season
  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