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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: straw · cell · saw · swing · calf · stick · lean · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. saw — the tool
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — a phone
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. lean — thin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. swing — to play on
  14. saw — the tool
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. swing — music
  18. cell — in biology
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bulb — for light
  24. straw — dry grass

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