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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.

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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: chest · safe · content · tear · squash · bulb · rule · stick

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — government
  4. bulb — for light
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. chest — of your body
  10. tear — from crying
  11. squash — to crush
  12. tear — to rip
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. content — happy
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. chest — a box
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. content — the amount

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