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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bulb — for light
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. suit — to fit
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. suit — in cards
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bear — to put up with

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