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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 120 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: cap · cold · bulb · safe · lean · club · wave · stem

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. club — for golf
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cold — not warm
  7. lean — thin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stem — to come from
  14. cap — a lid
  15. club — a group
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. cold — an illness

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