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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pound — a weight
  7. staff — employees
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bulb — for light
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. staff — a stick
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. squash — to crush
  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