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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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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: fall · safe · key · firm · band · bound · race · bulb

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bulb — for light
  4. band — a music group
  5. key — in music
  6. bound — certain
  7. fall — to drop
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. race — the arms race
  10. firm — decided
  11. fall — the season
  12. key — the most important part
  13. race — humankind
  14. firm — steady
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. firm — a company
  20. bulb — for light
  21. race — a contest
  22. band — a ring
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bound — obliged

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