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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rest — what's left
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bore — to tire
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bore — to drill
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. saw — the tool

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