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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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 — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. band — a ring
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bulb — for light
  11. prune — to trim
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. band — a music group

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