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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bulb — for light
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lean — to bend
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. lean — thin
  10. band — a music group
  11. tube — a container
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. band — a ring
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. tube — the underground

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