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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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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bulb — for light
  4. staff — a stick
  5. chip — to eat
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. staff — employees
  16. mate — a friend
  17. chip — for betting
  18. staff — employees

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