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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 120 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: stick · fine · racket · staff · lean · stand · rule · rest

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. staff — employees
  5. lean — thin
  6. rule — government
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fine — all right
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rest — a break
  15. lean — to bend
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rule — a law
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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