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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: safe · bulb · wake · stem · file · coach · face · tube

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wake — a trail
  3. face — to point toward
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. file — a tool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. file — a document
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. tube — the underground
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. face — part of the head
  18. file — a line of people
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. tube — a container
  24. face — to confront

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