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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. capital — a city
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mark — a grade
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. kick — in football
  8. ground — a position
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. mark — a trace
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. ground — crushed
  18. saw — the tool
  19. capital — money
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. saw — the tool

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