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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
468
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 · spring · object · cold · rush · toast · safe · foot

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. object — to protest
  5. rush — hurry
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. object — a thing
  8. bulb — for light
  9. object — an aim
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. spring — the season
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bulb — for light
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. spring — of water
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. toast — bread
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bulb — of a plant

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