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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 116 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cold — not warm
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cold — an illness
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pass — to succeed

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