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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bulb — for light
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mate — a partner
  21. branch — a division
  22. mate — a friend
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. deal — an agreement

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