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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: safe · bulb · shower · fan · bass · stick · craft · date

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bulb — for light
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. shower — rain
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bass — low music
  17. craft — a skill
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bass — the fish
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. craft — boats
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. date — the fruit

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