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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · mine · bulb · can · leaves · chest · fork · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. can — a tin
  3. chest — a box
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bulb — for light
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chest — of your body
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mine — for digging
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. can — a tin
  21. chest — of your body
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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