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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: can · stock · bat · rest · fall · band · rule · calf

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. rest — what's left
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. rest — what's left
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. can — to be able to
  9. stock — goods
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. can — a tin
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rest — a break
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. can — a tin
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rule — government
  23. stock — shares
  24. fall — the season

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