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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. present — there
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. mug — a face
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bulb — for light
  13. present — a gift
  14. roll — a list
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mug — to rob
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. present — the time now
  24. mug — a cup

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