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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: tube · wind · cap · safe · wake · bound · bulb · cabinet

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bound — certain
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bulb — for light
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cap — a lid
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. tube — a container
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. wind — moving air

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