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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. board — a committee
  8. mug — a cup
  9. tube — a container
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. race — a contest
  12. board — to get on
  13. mug — a face
  14. deal — to handle
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mug — to rob
  17. prune — to trim
  18. race — the arms race
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bulb — for light
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. race — humankind

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