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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. mate — a friend
  4. staff — employees
  5. stand — to bear
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. mate — to breed
  9. staff — a stick
  10. lean — to bend
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. lean — thin
  16. staff — employees
  17. bound — obliged
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bound — certain
  24. lean — to rest against

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