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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 116 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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rock — music
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. lean — thin
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rock — a stone

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