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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. squash — to crush
  8. clip — a video
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rash — a series
  11. clip — for paper
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bulb — for light
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rest — a break
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. deal — to handle
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rest — what's left
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. clip — to cut

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