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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · cabinet · wake · wind · calf · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lie — to recline
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cabinet — ministers

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