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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bear — the animal
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bear — the animal
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. suit — clothes
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. toast — bread
  21. clip — a video
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. pound — a weight

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