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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pound — a weight
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. lean — to bend
  8. snap — to click
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lean — thin
  12. court — of law
  13. pop — soda
  14. court — of a king
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pop — music
  20. court — for sport
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pound — for dogs

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