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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. track — a song
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wake — a trail
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. track — a path
  24. arm — part of the body

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