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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. staff — a stick
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. net — after costs
  9. mine — for digging
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. staff — employees
  13. stand — to bear
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. net — in sport
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. staff — employees
  23. net — for catching
  24. mine — an explosive

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