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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. sharp — clever
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. land — a country
  9. land — ground
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. land — to come down
  12. bear — the animal
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bear — the animal
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bulb — for light
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wake — a trail

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