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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. suit — in cards
  5. net — for catching
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. track — to keep track
  12. suit — clothes
  13. net — in sport
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cell — in biology
  16. suit — to fit
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a document
  20. net — after costs
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. track — a path
  23. bulb — for light
  24. track — a song

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