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

Word bank: bulb · straw · rest · stick · toast · kick · bound · spell

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rest — what's left
  8. spell — magic
  9. bound — obliged
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bound — certain
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. spell — letters
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rest — a break
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spell — a short time
  23. kick — in football
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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