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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 120 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. firm — a company
  4. bulb — for light
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mate — a partner
  11. firm — steady
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. firm — decided
  16. mate — a friend
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wake — a trail
  24. ruler — for measuring

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