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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 116 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: fork · safe · lie · bulb · race · band · mate · pop

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a music group
  4. bulb — for light
  5. race — humankind
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pop — soda
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pop — music
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mate — a partner
  16. race — a contest
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pop — to visit
  19. lie — to recline
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lie — an untruth

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