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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: ball · cell · firm · lash · club · bulb · content · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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. cell — in a prison
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cell — a phone
  6. club — for dancing
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bulb — for light
  9. content — the amount
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. firm — steady
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. club — for golf
  14. ball — a dance
  15. cell — in biology
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. club — a group
  19. firm — decided
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — happy
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. firm — a company

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