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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · lie · straw · deal · field · scale · bulb · mug

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bulb — for light
  5. season — in sport
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mug — to rob
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. field — a subject
  12. scale — size or range
  13. season — of the year
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bulb — for light
  16. field — for sport
  17. mug — a face
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. scale — in music
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. field — farmland
  22. mug — a cup
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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