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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: mouse · bulb · chest · arm · rule · squash · ground · safe

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. ground — crushed
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. ground — the earth
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. squash — the sport
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rule — government
  17. chest — of your body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. chest — a box
  23. ground — a position
  24. mouse — the animal

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