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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: fan · row · mouse · bulb · hand · can · straw · arm

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. can — a tin
  3. bulb — for light
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. row — to paddle
  9. can — a tin
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hand — help
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bulb — for light
  23. can — to be able to
  24. straw — a straw man

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