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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 124 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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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: pit · foot · straw · lean · cabinet · coach · rock · clip

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rock — music
  7. foot — a measure
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rock — a stone
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — for paper
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pit — in a race
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. clip — to cut

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