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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fine — all right
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bore — to drill
  9. branch — a division
  10. fine — high quality
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bore — to tire
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cell — a phone
  21. club — for golf
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. club — a group
  24. bulb — of a plant

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