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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: degree · rash · wave · snap · plane · safe · bulb · stick

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rash — a series
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rash — hasty
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. plane — a tool
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. snap — to click
  19. bulb — for light
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. safe — out of danger

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