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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pop — soda
  7. capital — a city
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rest — a break
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. last — final
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pop — to visit
  14. last — finally
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. season — of the year
  17. last — to go on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. capital — money
  20. rest — what's left
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mug — a face
  23. pop — music
  24. stand — to bear

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