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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · firm · rash · spring · bulb · safe · swing · lie

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. swing — to play on
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rash — hasty
  10. swing — music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. firm — a company
  13. swing — in golf
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rash — a series
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. firm — decided
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lie — to recline
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. firm — steady

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