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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lie — to recline

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