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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 wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bulb — for light
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. lean — thin
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — in control
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. snap — to click
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. hand — in cards
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. hand — help

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