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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 116 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bound — obliged
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bat — the animal
  8. cue — a signal
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bound — certain
  16. cue — for pool
  17. chair — a leader
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cue — a hint

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