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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bulb — for light
  3. tube — the underground
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. deal — to handle
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. tube — a container
  13. present — a gift
  14. rash — hasty
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bulb — for light
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stand — to bear
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wake — a trail

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