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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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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: drill · lean · race · pit · wound · content · safe · bulb

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. wound — an injury
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. lean — to bend
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pit — in a race
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. race — humankind
  10. bulb — for light
  11. content — the amount
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. race — the arms race
  14. wound — an injury
  15. content — happy
  16. pit — a hole
  17. race — a contest
  18. lean — thin
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — the tool
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bulb — for light
  24. safe — a strongbox

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