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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: board · straw · lean · bound · sharp · tube · content · lie

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. lean — thin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. content — happy
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bound — tied together
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. content — the amount
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. tube — the underground
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. sharp — clever
  22. tube — a container
  23. board — to get on
  24. sharp — with an edge

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