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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 · date · jam · can · stand · lean · safe · cold

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. can — a tin
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cold — an illness
  6. can — a tin
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. lean — thin
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cold — not warm
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. lean — to bend

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