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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: land · safe · straw · trunk · ball · content · fan · bulb

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bulb — for light
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. land — ground
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. content — happy
  10. content — the amount
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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