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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bound — certain
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bulb — for light
  14. content — the amount
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bound — tied together
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bear — the animal
  21. content — happy
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. straw — a straw man

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