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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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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: stick · stand · kick · ruler · can · bound · ground · cabinet

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bound — certain
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bound — tied together
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. stand — to bear
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ground — a position
  23. can — a tin
  24. bound — obliged

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