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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. firm — decided
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bulb — for light
  10. firm — a company
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fine — all right
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. shower — rain
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. shower — to wash
  20. fine — high quality
  21. firm — steady
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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