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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 120 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: firm · bulb · root · deal · straw · chest · sharp · drill

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. deal — to handle
  4. firm — a company
  5. sharp — clever
  6. root — of a plant
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. drill — army training
  9. firm — decided
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. drill — a practice
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. firm — steady
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. drill — the tool
  22. chest — a box
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. deal — an agreement

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