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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 120 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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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: bulb · safe · kick · file · mark · hide · snap · cold

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bulb — for light
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. file — a document
  5. mark — a trace
  6. kick — in football
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cold — not warm
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mark — a grade
  16. snap — to click
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. file — a line of people
  21. cold — an illness
  22. file — a tool
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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