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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: dip · foot · calf · press · bulb · safe · cold · stick

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. press — a publisher
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bulb — for light
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cold — an illness
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cold — not warm
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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