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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 116 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. kid — to tease
  7. chip — for betting
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. chip — to eat
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bulb — for light
  14. drill — army training
  15. perch — the fish
  16. drill — a practice
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. present — there
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. present — the time now
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. drill — the tool
  24. present — a gift

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