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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. row — to paddle
  3. tube — a container
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. last — final
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. row — a line
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mouse — for a computer

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