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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. kid — child
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. can — a tin
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bulb — for light
  14. can — a tin
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. can — to be able to
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fine — all right
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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