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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 · toast · pit · plane · safe · chest · key · saw

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. chest — of your body
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chest — a box
  7. bulb — for light
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. saw — the tool
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. key — the most important part
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. chest — of your 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