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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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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: drill · bulb · bear · safe · mouse · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cold — not warm
  4. drill — army training
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bear — the animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — the animal

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