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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bulb — for light
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rest — what's left
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. clip — for paper
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. clip — to cut
  17. shower — rain
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. shower — to wash
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rash — a series
  23. rest — a break
  24. clip — a video

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