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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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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. lie — to recline
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rash — hasty
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rash — a series
  18. lie — an untruth

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