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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 116 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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bulb — for light
  3. court — of a king
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. face — to confront
  8. mate — a friend
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. court — for sport
  21. rock — a stone
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. court — of law
  24. rock — music

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