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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. current — of water
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. current — electric
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. current — happening now
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mark — a trace
  15. squash — the sport
  16. shower — rain
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. shower — to wash
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bulb — for light
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bulb — for light

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