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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 124 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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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: ground · wave · sharp · mate · lie · stem · straw · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ground — a position
  3. mate — a friend
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bound — certain
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ground — the earth
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bound — obliged
  14. lie — to recline
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mate — a partner
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. sharp — clever
  20. stem — to come from
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. lie — an untruth

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