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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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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: toast · cue · safe · bulb · game · rash · plane · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bulb — for light
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. game — a match
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. bulb — for light
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. game — wild animals
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. toast — bread

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