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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · rush · stick · straw · bulb · cap · mate · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bulb — for light
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pop — to visit
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mate — to breed
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cap — of ice

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