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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bound — obliged
  6. land — ground
  7. bound — certain
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. land — a country
  12. sharp — clever
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. suit — clothes
  16. land — to come down
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bound — tied together
  23. suit — to fit
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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