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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. wake — a trail
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. present — there
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. object — to protest
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. ground — a position
  19. object — a thing
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bound — certain
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  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