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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: stock · bass · trunk · safe · saw · roll · shower · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bulb — for light
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. shower — to wash
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. shower — rain
  13. saw — the tool
  14. roll — a cake
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stock — goods
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. roll — a list
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. stock — shares

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