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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 drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. toast — bread
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bulb — for light
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tear — from crying

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