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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
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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: last · shower · pass · racket · chest · pop · straw · bulb

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. shower — to wash
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pop — to visit
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pop — soda
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. last — finally
  12. pass — a permit
  13. chest — of your body
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. bulb — for light
  17. shower — rain
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pop — music

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