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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. season — of the year
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. staff — employees
  12. hand — in cards
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. season — in sport
  20. scale — in music
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. hand — help

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