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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: straw · suit · kick · face · stock · press · bound · leaves

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. suit — in cards
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. stock — goods
  8. face — to point toward
  9. press — to push
  10. face — part of the head
  11. suit — to fit
  12. face — to confront
  13. stock — shares
  14. kick — in football
  15. press — newspapers
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bound — tied together
  20. press — a publisher
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. kick — with a leg

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