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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. can — a tin
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bat — the animal
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wind — moving air
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rash — a series
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. can — to be able to
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. can — a tin
  24. bulb — 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