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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. bulb — for light
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bulb — for light
  12. saw — the tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. mug — a face
  15. deal — to handle
  16. track — to keep track
  17. drill — the tool
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mug — a cup
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mug — to rob
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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