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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. dip — to sink
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. chest — of your body
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stand — to bear
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rule — government
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rule — a law
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chest — a box
  20. bound — obliged
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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