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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bulb — for light
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. last — to go on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. deal — to handle
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. last — final
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rush — hurry
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. last — finally
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. kid — child
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. kid — to tease
  24. saw — the tool

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