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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: wave · straw · safe · toast · bat · cue · bulb · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. lean — thin
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cue — for pool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. toast — bread
  14. bat — the animal
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cue — a signal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. cue — a hint

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