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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. last — to go on
  5. spring — the season
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spring — of water
  9. last — finally
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. root — the cause
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spring — a coil
  17. root — of a word
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. last — final
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bulb — for light
  23. root — of a plant
  24. stand — on your feet

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