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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bound — certain
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. leaves — of a tree

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