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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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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: lie · bulb · drill · safe · pass · hand · rest · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hand — help
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rest — what's left
  5. drill — the tool
  6. hand — in cards
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rest — what's left
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rest — a break
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bulb — for light
  17. drill — army training
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. hand — part of the body

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