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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bulb — for light
  5. tear — to rip
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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