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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. roll — a list
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. band — a ring
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. saw — the tool
  16. roll — a cake
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pit — a hole
  24. band — a music group

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