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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 · current · rash · face · pop · club · kid

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pop — to visit
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. face — to confront
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rash — a series
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pop — music
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. face — part of the head
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kid — child
  18. club — for golf
  19. pop — soda
  20. current — happening now
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. club — a group
  23. kid — to tease
  24. club — for dancing

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