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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. chest — a box
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ball — a dance
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. chest — of your body
  24. ball — a great time

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