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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mug — a face
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mug — to rob
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bound — obliged

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