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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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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: stick · cabinet · object · coach · pit · straw · bear · kick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pit — in a race
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pit — a hole
  12. object — an aim
  13. kick — in football
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bear — the animal
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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