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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. squash — the sport
  6. season — in sport
  7. content — the amount
  8. bank — for money
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bank — for money
  11. rash — a series
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rash — hasty
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bank — of a river
  18. season — of the year
  19. bulb — for light
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. squash — to crush
  22. content — happy
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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