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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bulb — for light
  6. squash — to crush
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. row — to paddle
  12. deal — to handle
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. row — a line
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. squash — the sport
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. net — in sport
  24. bulb — for light

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