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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pound — a weight
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rock — music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cell — a phone
  13. root — of a word
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. root — the cause
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cell — in biology
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rock — a stone
  24. straw — dry grass

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