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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bound — tied together
  5. season — in sport
  6. chest — of your body
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. lie — to recline
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mug — to rob
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mug — a face
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mug — a cup
  16. season — of the year
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bound — certain
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. suit — in cards
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bound — obliged
  24. saw — the tool

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