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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hand — help
  4. tear — from crying
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. plane — a tool
  8. hand — in cards
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bulb — for light
  11. tear — from crying
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. lean — to bend
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. ball — a great time
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. tear — to rip
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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