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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
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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: lash · safe · mug · field · wound · leaves · race · bulb

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mug — a cup
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bulb — for light
  6. race — humankind
  7. field — for sport
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mug — a face
  14. wound — an injury
  15. field — a subject
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. race — the arms race
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. race — a contest
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. field — farmland

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