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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. present — the time now
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. present — a gift
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mate — a partner
  10. present — there
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rest — a break
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mark — a grade
  16. tube — a container
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rest — what's left
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mate — to breed
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mark — a trace

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