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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: bound · calf · rest · fan · cabinet · straw · pit · bowl

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pit — a hole
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bound — certain
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. pit — in a race
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rest — a break
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. straw — dry grass

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