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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bulb — for light
  15. scale — in music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bass — low music
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. kick — in football
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rash — a series
  24. lie — to recline

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