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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bound — certain
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. snap — to click
  6. net — for catching
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. lean — to bend
  11. net — after costs
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bound — obliged
  18. net — in sport
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pitch — completely
  23. lean — thin
  24. bound — tied together

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