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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: wave · arm · wake · bound · straw · lean · chip · fall

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fall — the season
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lean — thin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lean — to bend
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chip — for betting
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. chip — to eat
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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