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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · straw · bulb · staff · club · date · rash · safe

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. club — for dancing
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rash — a series
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. club — a group
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wake — a trail
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rash — hasty
  22. club — for golf
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rash — on the skin

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