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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. staff — employees
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cold — not warm
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cold — an illness
  10. toast — bread
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bound — obliged
  18. staff — a stick
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rash — a series
  21. suit — clothes
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. staff — employees
  24. bark — to shout

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