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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. perch — the fish
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. lean — thin
  6. track — a song
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lean — to bend
  11. current — electric
  12. object — to protest
  13. track — a path
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. track — to keep track
  16. current — of water
  17. shower — rain
  18. current — happening now
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — to wash
  21. object — an aim
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. object — a thing
  24. bulb — for light

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