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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. bound — certain
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bound — tied together
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. spell — letters
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. face — to confront
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. face — to point toward
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spell — magic
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bound — obliged
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. spell — a short time
  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