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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rush — hurry
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. net — for catching
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. net — after costs
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. net — in sport
  16. pound — a weight
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bulb — for light
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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