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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 124 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. net — after costs
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. net — for catching
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cell — in biology
  19. ground — the earth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ground — a position
  22. net — in sport
  23. cell — a phone
  24. coach — a trainer

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