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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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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: kid · spring · pit · file · bulb · date · race · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. file — a document
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. file — a tool
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. spring — the season
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spring — a coil
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. pit — in a race
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — humankind
  16. date — the fruit
  17. spring — of water
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. race — a contest
  20. kid — to tease
  21. pit — a hole
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kid — child

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