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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: safe · hand · bulb · board · tube · rush · present · cell

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hand — help
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. tube — the underground
  6. present — there
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bulb — for light
  13. present — the time now
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bulb — for light
  16. board — to get on
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rush — hurry
  20. tube — a container
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. present — a gift
  24. cell — a phone

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