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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 116 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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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: cap · coach · deal · straw · bank · clip · rock · cabinet

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bank — of a river
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bank — for money
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rock — music
  10. cap — a hat
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rock — a stone
  13. clip — for paper
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. cap — of ice
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — to cut
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bank — for 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