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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bulb — for light
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. branch — a division
  12. snap — to click
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. deal — to handle
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wax — to grow

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