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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. capital — a city
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. clip — to cut
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. capital — money
  12. clip — for paper
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. clip — a video
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. shower — rain
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. stand — to bear
  24. shower — to wash

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