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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mug — a face
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bulb — for light
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cap — of ice
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. mug — a cup
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. sharp — clever
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cap — a lid
  23. chair — a leader
  24. straw — dry grass

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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