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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rash — a series
  3. bound — obliged
  4. toast — bread
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rule — government
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bound — tied together
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bound — certain
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. toast — a drink to someone

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