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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 116 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: safe · mate · cold · snap · bulb · bowl · suit · court

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cold — not warm
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. court — of a king
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. snap — to click
  14. mate — to breed
  15. court — for sport
  16. suit — to fit
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bulb — for light
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. court — of law
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bowl — to roll

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