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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: board · can · band · straw · lean · arm · capital · bulb

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. capital — a city
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bulb — for light
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. can — to be able to
  13. lean — to bend
  14. board — a committee
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bulb — for light
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. capital — money
  20. band — a ring
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. band — a music group
  23. lean — thin
  24. board — to get on

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