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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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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: straw · coach · bound · hide · fall · rush · ground · current

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fall — to drop
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bound — obliged
  8. current — of water
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fall — the season
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. current — happening now
  18. bound — tied together
  19. ground — a position
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ground — crushed
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. current — electric
  24. bound — certain

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