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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 120 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bound — obliged
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wind — moving air
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pitch — completely
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bound — certain
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wind — moving air

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