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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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 — of a plant
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. bulb — for light
  6. present — a gift
  7. capital — money
  8. can — a tin
  9. lean — thin
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. present — there
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. present — the time now
  14. capital — a city
  15. can — to be able to
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. wound — an injury
  22. can — a tin
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wound — an injury

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