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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 120 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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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: net · lean · rash · shower · safe · bulb · mine · straw

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. net — in sport
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. net — after costs
  9. mine — for digging
  10. shower — rain
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. lean — to bend
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lean — thin
  22. shower — to wash
  23. net — for catching
  24. rash — a series

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