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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rest — a break
  4. land — a country
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bound — obliged
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. rest — what's left
  12. roll — a cake
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. land — ground
  17. roll — a list
  18. pit — in a race
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rest — what's left
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bat — the animal

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