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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: can · racket · clip · safe · fine · kid · bulb · fall

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. can — a tin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fine — all right
  5. clip — a video
  6. fall — the season
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fall — to drop
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bulb — for light
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. kid — child
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. clip — for paper

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