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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bound — certain
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. object — a thing
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. object — to protest
  10. field — a subject
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rule — government
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. plane — a tool
  17. object — an aim
  18. rule — a law
  19. field — for sport
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. swing — to play on
  22. field — farmland
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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