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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bound — tied together
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rock — music
  5. ground — a position
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rock — a stone
  16. ground — crushed
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bound — certain
  19. kick — in football
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rest — what's left
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rest — what's left

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