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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 120 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. suit — clothes
  5. board — a committee
  6. fall — to drop
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fall — to drop
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bound — obliged
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. fall — the season
  17. suit — in cards
  18. board — to get on
  19. bound — certain
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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