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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. staff — a stick
  3. file — a tool
  4. lean — to bend
  5. file — a document
  6. cell — in biology
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bound — obliged
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. craft — a skill
  12. file — a line of people
  13. cell — a phone
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. staff — employees
  18. bound — tied together
  19. staff — employees
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. lean — thin
  24. craft — boats

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