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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
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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: cold · deal · last · track · safe · bulb · tube · bat

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tube — a container
  5. track — a song
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. last — to go on
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cold — not warm
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. tube — the underground
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cold — an illness
  19. track — a path
  20. bat — the animal
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bulb — for light
  24. track — to keep track

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