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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. band — a ring
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mug — to rob
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. press — to push
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bound — tied together
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mug — a face
  19. pass — a permit
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. band — a music group
  24. bound — certain

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