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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bulb — for light
  4. suit — in cards
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. suit — clothes
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. row — to paddle
  10. spring — of water
  11. fine — all right
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. row — a line
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rash — a series
  22. bulb — for light
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bulb — of a plant

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