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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.

Make a worksheet

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: coach · cold · toast · safe · prune · wax · scale · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cold — not warm
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. cold — an illness
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bulb — for light
  13. toast — bread
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wax — to grow
  22. scale — in music
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. coach — a trainer

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