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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — to trim
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bulb — for light
  9. root — the cause
  10. charge — electricity
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. charge — a price
  13. root — of a plant
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. craft — boats
  17. root — of a word
  18. charge — in control
  19. chip — to eat
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chip — for betting
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. straw — a straw man

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