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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 116 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. firm — steady
  7. tear — to rip
  8. firm — a company
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bulb — for light
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. firm — decided
  14. tear — from crying
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. hand — help
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. charge — in control
  19. hand — in cards
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. tear — from crying
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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