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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: wound · fall · sharp · cap · rash · bulb · lash · safe

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cap — a hat
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rash — a series
  18. cap — of ice
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rash — hasty

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