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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. ball — a dance
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. swing — music
  8. present — a gift
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bound — obliged
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. present — the time now
  13. swing — in golf
  14. hand — in cards
  15. present — there
  16. swing — to play on
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. hand — help
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. ball — a great time
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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