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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: hide · bay · capital · roll · straw · staff · wind · suit

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. staff — employees
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. staff — a stick
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wind — moving air
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. suit — in cards
  10. capital — a city
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. staff — employees
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. suit — clothes
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. capital — money
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. roll — a list
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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