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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. suit — clothes
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. suit — to fit
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bound — certain
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fall — the season
  17. bound — tied together
  18. suit — in cards

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