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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. hand — help
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pass — a permit
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. march — music
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. chip — to eat
  13. hand — in cards
  14. race — a contest
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. race — humankind
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. chip — for betting
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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