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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. field — for sport
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. field — a subject
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bank — for money
  8. wound — an injury
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. tube — a container
  19. bank — for money
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bank — of a river
  23. field — farmland
  24. wound — an injury

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