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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: net · stock · last · staff · bound · fall · rest · wound

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bound — certain
  3. fall — the season
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. net — after costs
  7. bound — tied together
  8. last — final
  9. wound — an injury
  10. last — finally
  11. net — for catching
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. stock — shares
  15. last — to go on
  16. stock — goods
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fall — to drop
  19. net — in sport
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. staff — employees
  24. wound — an injury

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