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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — a city
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lean — thin
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. capital — money
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rash — a series
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. lean — to bend
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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