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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: trunk · safe · date · tube · cabinet · patient · bulb · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. tube — a container
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. date — the fruit
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bulb — for light

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