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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bulb — for light
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. tear — to rip
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. tear — from crying
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pass — a permit
  24. straw — dry grass

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