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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bulb — for light
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. land — ground
  7. degree — an amount
  8. branch — a division
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. land — a country
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. degree — from a university
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. last — final
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. land — to come down
  21. bulb — for light
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pitch — completely
  24. wave — with your hand

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