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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: roll · fall · stock · chair · kick · cabinet · cap · safe

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. roll — a list
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. roll — a cake
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. kick — in football
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stock — goods
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cap — a hat
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. stock — shares
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. safe — a strongbox

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