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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: safe · fan · snap · ruler · tear · bulb · saw · current

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. current — happening now
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. current — electric
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. tear — to rip
  13. snap — to click
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. current — of water
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tear — from crying
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fan — to cool the air

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