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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: stand · cabinet · capital · cold · lean · root · straw · board

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. root — the cause
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. root — of a word
  7. cold — an illness
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. lean — to bend
  11. capital — a city
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. capital — money
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. board — to get on
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. root — of a plant
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cold — not warm
  23. lean — thin
  24. stand — to bear

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