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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: rash · staff · straw · firm · hide · bulb · degree · wind

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. staff — a stick
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rash — hasty
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wind — moving air
  10. degree — an amount
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. degree — temperature
  13. firm — a company
  14. staff — employees
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rash — a series
  17. firm — steady
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. firm — decided
  20. staff — employees
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wind — moving air

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