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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 drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bulb — for light
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mark — a grade
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wax — to grow
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. foot — a measure
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. vault — a safe
  24. hide — to keep secret

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