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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: leaves · arm · band · straw · chair · capital · firm · bulb

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. band — a music group
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. capital — a city
  6. firm — decided
  7. band — a ring
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. chair — a leader
  15. firm — steady
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. firm — a company
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bulb — for light
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. capital — money
  24. straw — a straw man

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