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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: straw · wake · kid · bulb · calf · tube · jam · safe

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bulb — for light
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. kid — child
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. tube — a container
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wake — a trail
  20. kid — to tease
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. tube — the underground
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. safe — out of danger

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