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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.

Make a worksheet

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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. perch — the fish
  7. toast — bread
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. staff — a stick
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. staff — employees
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. staff — employees
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bulb — for light
  19. sharp — clever
  20. spring — of water
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spring — the season
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. toast — a drink to someone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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