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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.

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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: tear · snap · pound · bank · bulb · club · mouse · safe

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bulb — for light
  3. club — for golf
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. club — a group
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pound — a weight
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bank — for money
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. tear — to rip
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tear — from crying
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pound — for dogs

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