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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. tube — a container
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. tube — the underground
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. ball — a great time
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. saw — the tool
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. ball — a dance
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bulb — for light
  24. deal — a big deal

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