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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bulb — for light
  4. season — of the year
  5. fork — in a road
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cell — in biology
  10. lean — thin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. lean — to bend
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. season — in sport
  20. cell — a phone
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. branch — a division
  24. straw — a straw man

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