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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: mate · bulb · bass · kid · safe · content · tube · lean

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lean — thin
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bulb — for light
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. kid — to tease
  8. content — the amount
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bass — low music
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bass — the fish
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. tube — the underground
  18. kid — child
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. content — happy
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. lean — to bend

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