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

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. lean — thin
  9. march — the month
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bound — tied together
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bound — certain
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pass — to succeed
  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