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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 120 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: safe · can · pop · cap · lash · bulb · swing · stem

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pop — to visit
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pop — music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. can — to be able to
  14. swing — music
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pop — soda
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. can — a tin
  22. cap — of ice
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. can — a tin

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