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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. shower — rain
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bulb — for light
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. fan — a supporter

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