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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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 — to go away
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bound — obliged
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bound — certain
  9. sharp — clever
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bound — tied together
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. land — ground
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. can — to be able to
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. squash — the sport
  21. firm — steady
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  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