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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 120 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. drill — army training
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. club — for golf
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bound — certain
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. kick — in football
  22. club — a group
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bulb — for light

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