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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: rash · firm · bound · leaves · ground · straw · spell · clip

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. rash — hasty
  5. spell — magic
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bound — certain
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. spell — a short time
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. clip — a video
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. spell — letters
  19. firm — a company
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bound — obliged
  23. clip — to cut
  24. rash — a series

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