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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
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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: safe · bulb · land · pit · lean · shower · spell · bay

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. lean — to bend
  4. land — ground
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. land — to come down
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. land — a country
  9. spell — letters
  10. lean — thin
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spell — a short time
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. shower — to wash
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spell — magic
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. shower — rain

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