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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. shower — rain
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mug — to rob
  4. present — the time now
  5. mug — a cup
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bulb — for light
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. content — happy
  11. lean — thin
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. present — a gift
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. present — there
  21. mug — a face
  22. content — the amount
  23. rush — hurry
  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