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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
468
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: chair · rash · bound · straw · capital · bowl · calf · content

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bound — certain
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. capital — a city
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bound — tied together
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bound — obliged
  14. content — happy
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. capital — money
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. content — the amount
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rash — a series

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