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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 120 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 always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. current — happening now
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bound — certain
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. sharp — clever
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bound — tied together
  15. face — to confront
  16. track — a song
  17. current — electric
  18. track — to keep track
  19. face — part of the head
  20. current — of water
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bound — obliged
  23. face — to point toward
  24. track — a path

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