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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. saw — the tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bulb — for light
  14. prune — to trim
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. charge — in control
  18. prune — to trim
  19. charge — a price
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — a video
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. charge — electricity

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