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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: rush · plane · scale · tear · bore · safe · bulb · present

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. present — a gift
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. tear — from crying
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. tear — to rip
  10. scale — in music
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. scale — size or range
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. present — the time now
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bore — to tire
  22. tear — from crying
  23. present — there
  24. rush — hurry

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