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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: club · mug · bulb · safe · face · hide · kick · swing

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. kick — in football
  3. face — to confront
  4. club — for dancing
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bulb — for light
  7. club — for golf
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. swing — to play on
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. club — a group
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — to rob
  17. face — part of the head
  18. swing — music
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. face — to point toward
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bulb — for light
  24. swing — in golf

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