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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bulb — for light
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wind — moving air
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. scale — in music
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. chair — a leader
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fall — to drop
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. chair — a professorship

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