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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. tube — a container
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. roll — a list
  7. clip — to cut
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bore — to drill
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. clip — a video
  17. cell — in biology
  18. roll — a cake
  19. tube — the underground
  20. clip — for paper
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bore — to tire

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