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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. game — a match
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. hand — help
  9. stand — to bear
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lie — to recline
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. game — wild animals
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lie — an untruth

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