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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: bulb · kick · shower · foot · date · safe · roll · straw

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. kick — in football
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bulb — for light
  10. roll — a list
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. shower — rain
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. foot — a measure
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. foot — 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