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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: face · safe · hand · bulb · stick · content · dip · race

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. face — to confront
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. race — humankind
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hand — help
  10. content — the amount
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bulb — for light
  14. race — the arms race
  15. dip — to sink
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. race — a contest
  19. face — part of the head
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. face — to point toward
  23. content — happy
  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