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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.

Make a worksheet

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: squash · date · net · bulb · straw · safe · chair · craft

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. net — for catching
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. craft — boats
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chair — a leader
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. squash — the sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. craft — a skill

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