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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: rest · capital · lie · field · straw · cabinet · stand · can

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. capital — a city
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stand — to bear
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. can — a tin
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. field — for sport
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rest — what's left
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. field — farmland
  19. can — a tin
  20. rest — a break
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. capital — money
  24. field — a subject

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