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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pop — music
  5. roll — a list
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. roll — a cake
  13. wound — an injury
  14. squash — to crush
  15. fine — all right
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pop — soda
  23. hand — in cards
  24. squash — the sport

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