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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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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. staff — employees
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. lie — to recline
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. nail — on a finger
  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