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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. club — for dancing
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bound — certain
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. chest — of your body
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lean — to bend
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. chest — a box
  23. lean — thin
  24. leaves — lets stay

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