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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.

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: suit · cell · bear · object · straw · pop · cabinet · leaves

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. suit — clothes
  7. object — an aim
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pop — soda
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bear — the animal
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. object — a thing
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bear — the animal
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pop — music
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cell — a phone

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