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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bulb — for light
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bass — low music
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tear — to rip
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fork — in a road

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