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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: firm · land · mug · tear · safe · plane · bulb · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. tear — from crying
  3. land — a country
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. tear — to rip
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. firm — steady
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mug — a face
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bulb — for light
  15. land — ground
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. firm — a company
  19. land — to come down
  20. mug — to rob
  21. plane — a tool
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. firm — decided
  24. safe — out of danger

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