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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. drill — the tool
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. last — finally
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. sharp — clever
  15. last — to go on
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. drill — army training
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. last — final
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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