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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: capital · straw · kick · cabinet · squash · bulb · firm · spell

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. spell — magic
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. capital — a city
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bulb — for light
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. firm — steady
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. spell — letters
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. spell — a short time
  24. capital — money

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