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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pop — soda
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pop — music
  6. land — ground
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. land — a country
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. land — to come down
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rock — music
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pop — to visit

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