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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pop — soda
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bulb — for light
  6. present — a gift
  7. current — electric
  8. row — to paddle
  9. present — the time now
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. present — there
  12. current — happening now
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stand — to bear
  15. current — of water
  16. row — a line
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pop — to visit
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pop — music

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