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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — letters
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. spell — a short time
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — the sport
  10. content — happy
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bulb — for light
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. content — the amount
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. spell — magic
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bank — for money
  20. root — the cause
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. root — of a word
  23. bulb — for light
  24. root — of a plant

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