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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 120 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: present · straw · capital · temple · bowl · can · race · band

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. can — a tin
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. present — there
  5. capital — a city
  6. race — the arms race
  7. present — a gift
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. capital — money
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. race — a contest
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. can — to be able to
  17. present — the time now
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. race — humankind
  20. can — a tin
  21. band — a ring
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. band — a music group
  24. temple — a place of worship

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