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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. court — for sport
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. court — of law
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. court — of a king
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. staff — employees
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bark — to shout
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. staff — employees
  22. mark — a trace
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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