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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 · cue · straw · snap · chest · jam · craft · fine

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cue — a hint
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. craft — a skill
  6. chest — of your body
  7. craft — boats
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cue — for pool
  15. chest — of your body
  16. snap — to click
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. chest — a box
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. fine — high quality
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. fine — all right

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