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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 water is too ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cold — not warm
  3. bulb — for light
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bulb — for light
  8. branch — a division
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. drill — army training
  11. root — of a plant
  12. scale — in music
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. root — of a word
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pass — a permit
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cold — an illness
  23. root — the cause
  24. drill — the tool

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