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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bulb — for light
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rash — hasty
  6. degree — an amount
  7. face — to confront
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rash — a series
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mug — a cup
  12. face — to point toward
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mug — a face
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pit — a hole
  22. degree — temperature
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. degree — from a university

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