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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: lie · cabinet · pitcher · suit · straw · toast · bowl · rest

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rest — a break
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. suit — to fit
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. suit — clothes
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. toast — bread
  17. suit — in cards
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cabinet — ministers

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