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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 120 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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bulb — for light
  5. charge — a price
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. race — the arms race
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. shower — to wash
  12. saw — the tool
  13. band — a music group
  14. race — a contest
  15. charge — electricity
  16. band — a ring
  17. race — humankind
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. charge — in control
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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