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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. track — a path
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. track — to keep track
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bulb — for light
  10. track — a song
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. hand — in cards
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. snap — to click
  17. hand — help
  18. safe — out of danger

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