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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spring — of water
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. degree — temperature
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. hand — help
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — an amount
  19. spring — a coil
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spring — the season
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. hand — in cards

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