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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. staff — employees
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. staff — employees
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. staff — a stick
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. squash — the sport
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bound — certain
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rock — a stone
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rock — music
  24. bound — tied together

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