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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bound — certain
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. face — to point toward
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. face — part of the head
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. firm — decided
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. firm — a company
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. firm — steady
  23. face — to confront
  24. deal — an agreement

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