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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wind — moving air
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wind — moving air
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — rain
  24. ground — crushed

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