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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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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 · cold · dip · bear · coach · club · present · bulb

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. present — there
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. club — for dancing
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. dip — to sink
  7. present — a gift
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. club — a group
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cold — not warm
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bulb — for light
  21. club — for golf
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. present — the time now

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