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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. row — to paddle
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. dip — to sink
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — for paper
  16. row — a line
  17. clip — to cut
  18. nail — for a hammer

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