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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: board · plane · capital · straw · cabinet · ruler · mine · hand

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. board — to get on
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. board — a committee
  10. hand — in cards
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — help
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mine — for digging
  24. board — a flat piece

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