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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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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: safe · toast · shower · bay · sharp · straw · fall · bulb

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. toast — bread
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. fall — the season
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bulb — for light
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fall — to drop
  12. shower — rain
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fall — to drop
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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