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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 116 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. season — of the year
  6. bass — the fish
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bass — low music
  10. season — in sport
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bound — tied together
  13. net — for catching
  14. bound — certain
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bound — obliged
  17. track — to keep track
  18. net — after costs
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. cue — for pool
  21. net — in sport
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. leaves — of a tree

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