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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: cabinet · trunk · rule · fall · lean · last · racket · staff

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. lean — to bend
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rule — government
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. staff — employees
  9. lean — thin
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. fall — the season
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. last — finally
  18. fall — to drop
  19. last — to go on
  20. fall — to drop
  21. last — final
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. staff — employees
  24. rule — a law

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