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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: jam · wound · bulb · staff · object · nail · ground · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. ground — crushed
  3. object — a thing
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ground — the earth
  12. staff — a stick
  13. ground — a position
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. staff — employees
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. staff — employees
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. object — to protest
  22. wound — an injury
  23. object — an aim
  24. bulb — for light

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