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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: wound · bulb · staff · straw · ground · land · present · object

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. staff — employees
  3. present — the time now
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. object — an aim
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. staff — a stick
  9. land — ground
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ground — a position
  12. object — to protest
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ground — the earth
  18. present — a gift
  19. object — a thing
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bulb — for light
  22. present — there
  23. ground — crushed
  24. staff — employees

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