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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: bulb · safe · fall · wake · leaves · rash · chair · fork

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. wake — a trail
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. chair — a leader
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. leaves — lets stay

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