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

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. staff — employees
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. fall — to drop
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. suit — in cards
  11. rock — a stone
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. suit — to fit
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rock — music

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