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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 120 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: lean · tear · deal · wake · safe · rush · bulb · saw

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bulb — for light
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rush — hurry
  15. saw — the tool
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wake — a trail
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lean — to rest against

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