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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bound — tied together
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ground — a position
  14. bound — obliged
  15. craft — boats
  16. ground — crushed
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. ground — the earth
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bound — certain
  23. bulb — for light
  24. hide — animal skin

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