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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
468
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: rest · straw · mate · bulb · mug · bound · toast · fan

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mug — a face
  4. rest — a break
  5. mug — a cup
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bound — tied together
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bound — certain
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. toast — bread

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