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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pop — music
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bore — to drill
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pop — to visit
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. roll — a list
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pop — soda
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bore — gave birth

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