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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · rush · wax · bulb · mate · safe · fan · kick

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rush — hurry
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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