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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bound — obliged
  3. land — to come down
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. row — a line
  13. land — a country
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. row — to paddle
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bound — certain
  21. land — ground
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bound — tied together
  24. straw — a straw man

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