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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · lie · hand · game · straw · fork · cabinet · squash

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. squash — to crush
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. lie — to recline
  13. fine — high quality
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fine — all right
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a match
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. hand — in cards
  23. squash — the sport
  24. fork — in a road

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