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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bound — certain
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fine — all right
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bound — obliged
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mark — a grade
  10. staff — a stick
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. staff — employees
  14. date — the fruit
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fall — the season
  22. staff — employees
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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