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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 120 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. capital — a city
  3. bound — tied together
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stand — to bear
  6. capital — money
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mate — to breed
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. scale — in music
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bound — certain

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