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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 116 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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rest — a break
  9. bound — certain
  10. rule — government
  11. cap — a lid
  12. craft — a skill
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bound — obliged
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fall — the season
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rule — a law
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rest — what's left
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. craft — boats

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