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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: lean · bound · spell · straw · pop · fall · jam · fine

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bound — obliged
  8. fall — the season
  9. fine — high quality
  10. spell — magic
  11. pop — music
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. fine — all right
  14. pop — soda
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. spell — a short time
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bound — tied together
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lean — thin
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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