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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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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: object · safe · drill · wake · wound · bulb · squash · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. court — of a king
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. drill — the tool
  12. squash — the sport
  13. drill — army training
  14. squash — to crush
  15. object — an aim
  16. wound — an injury
  17. object — a thing
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bulb — for light
  20. object — to protest
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. court — of law

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