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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. root — the cause
  5. craft — a skill
  6. root — of a plant
  7. band — a music group
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. root — of a word
  11. cue — a signal
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. capital — money
  16. cue — a hint
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cue — for pool
  20. lean — to bend
  21. capital — a city
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. band — a ring

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