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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: cabinet · straw · stand · fall · racket · pass · rock · lean

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rock — music
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fall — the season
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fall — to drop

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