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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. march — the month
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. march — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. ground — a position
  17. key — in music
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. march — the month
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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