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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. club — a group
  5. lean — thin
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bound — obliged
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. firm — decided
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. firm — a company
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. firm — steady
  24. club — for golf

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