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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: suit · bound · object · chest · mug · straw · tube · fan

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. object — an aim
  5. mug — to rob
  6. suit — clothes
  7. object — to protest
  8. bound — tied together
  9. mug — a cup
  10. chest — of your body
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. chest — of your body
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bound — certain
  18. mug — a face
  19. chest — a box
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. suit — to fit
  22. object — a thing
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — a straw man

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