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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · face · straw · pit · stick · spell · game · bound

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. spell — magic
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. spell — a short time
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pit — in a race
  18. face — to point toward
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. game — a match
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. spell — letters

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