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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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468
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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. pound — a weight
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. roll — a cake
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bear — the animal
  17. roll — a list
  18. kid — to tease
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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