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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pound — a weight
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bear — to put up with

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