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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: stand · bulb · present · ball · straw · leaves · rush · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. present — a gift
  10. bulb — for light
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. present — there
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stand — to bear
  24. present — the time now

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