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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bound — tied together
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bound — certain
  7. present — the time now
  8. rule — a law
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stand — to bear
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. spell — letters
  17. bound — obliged
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. present — there
  21. rule — government
  22. present — a gift
  23. spell — magic
  24. straw — dry grass

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