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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 116 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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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 · key · straw · tube · stick · wind · prune · safe

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. prune — to trim
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bulb — for light
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tube — a container
  14. bulb — for light
  15. prune — to trim
  16. tube — the underground
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. key — in music
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. key — the most important part

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