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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: chair · safe · land · track · bulb · lean · game · shower

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. track — a path
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. land — a country
  5. game — a match
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. shower — to wash
  9. game — wild animals
  10. track — a song
  11. land — to come down
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. lean — thin
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. lean — to bend
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. shower — rain
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bulb — for light
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. land — ground

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