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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: roll · bear · hand · spell · safe · board · wound · bulb

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bulb — for light
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wound — an injury
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. board — to get on
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. spell — magic
  11. roll — a list
  12. spell — letters
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. roll — a cake
  17. board — a committee
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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