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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
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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: wind · straw · pit · land · fan · present · cabinet · scale

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. land — to come down
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. scale — in music
  7. land — a country
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. land — ground
  10. present — there
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pit — in a race
  14. present — a gift
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. scale — size or range
  23. present — the time now
  24. scale — for weighing

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