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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 112 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. board — to get on
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. board — a committee
  12. suit — in cards
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rash — a series
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. suit — to fit
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bulb — for light
  23. tube — a container
  24. straw — dry grass

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