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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. degree — from a university
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. degree — temperature
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. degree — an amount
  19. key — for a lock
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pit — a hole
  22. key — in music
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. hide — to keep secret

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