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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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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: stock · pass · cabinet · can · fall · roll · present · lean

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. roll — a cake
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pass — a permit
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. roll — a list
  20. can — a tin
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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