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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 120 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: lean · board · cabinet · stick · mug · straw · clip · capital

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. clip — for paper
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. capital — a city
  10. board — to get on
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. clip — a video
  19. mug — a face
  20. capital — money
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. board — a committee
  24. lean — thin

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