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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. suit — in cards
  6. can — a tin
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. can — to be able to
  9. suit — clothes
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fall — to drop
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. suit — to fit
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fall — to drop
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. can — a tin
  23. fall — the season
  24. leaves — of a tree

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