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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 · hide · bat · wake · bulb · safe · rash · suit

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bulb — for light
  5. dip — to sink
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bulb — for light
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rash — a series
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rash — hasty
  15. suit — clothes
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bat — the animal

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