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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: cabinet · capital · cue · prune · lean · kick · straw · roll

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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. lean — to rest against
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. roll — a list
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lean — to bend
  11. capital — money
  12. cue — a hint
  13. capital — a city
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lean — thin
  16. roll — a cake
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cue — for pool
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. prune — to trim
  23. kick — in football
  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