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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 116 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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bound — certain
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bound — tied together
  7. last — to go on
  8. press — to push
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chip — for betting
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. press — a publisher
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. press — newspapers
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rush — hurry
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. snap — to click
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bound — obliged

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