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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. land — ground
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bulb — for light
  6. land — a country
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. key — the most important part
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lean — to bend
  11. key — for a lock
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. season — in sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. land — to come down
  20. lean — thin
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. season — of the year
  23. key — in music
  24. bulb — of a plant

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