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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: chest · wake · squash · safe · prune · stand · bore · bulb

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bulb — for light
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. prune — to trim
  9. squash — to crush
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. chest — of your body
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bore — to tire

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