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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wound — an injury
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. object — to protest
  6. club — a group
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bulb — for light
  9. club — for golf
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wind — moving air
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. object — an aim
  19. perch — the fish
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. object — a thing
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. safe — out of danger

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