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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bulb — for light
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. face — to point toward
  10. snap — to click
  11. face — to confront
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bulb — for light
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. face — part of the head
  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