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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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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: bound · can · lash · fall · pitcher · leaves · straw · scale

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bound — obliged
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. can — a tin
  10. fall — to drop
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fall — the season
  16. bound — tied together
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bound — certain
  20. fall — to drop
  21. can — a tin
  22. scale — in music
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. leaves — to go away

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