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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 116 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: rest · stick · stock · cabinet · leaves · pit · bark · fall

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fall — the season
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stock — shares
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stock — goods
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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