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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.

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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: cap · shower · bat · rock · bulb · suit · safe · stand

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rock — music
  3. suit — clothes
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cap — of ice
  13. suit — in cards
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. shower — rain
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bat — the animal
  23. shower — to wash
  24. stand — to bear

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