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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · tube · safe · face · straw · bulb

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. face — to point toward
  10. tear — to rip
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. tube — the underground
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. face — part of the head
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. tube — a container
  18. face — to confront

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