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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
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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: rash · bulb · foot · cap · present · fine · prune · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. cap — of ice
  5. present — the time now
  6. foot — a measure
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bulb — for light
  9. present — there
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. present — a gift
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cap — a lid
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bulb — for light
  24. foot — the bottom

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