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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bulb — for light
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bulb — for light
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. scale — in music
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bass — low music
  18. bank — for money
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. rock — music
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bank — for money
  24. cold — an illness

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