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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
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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: last · rush · deal · race · chip · bulb · safe · tube

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. last — finally
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. chip — to eat
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chip — for betting
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. tube — the underground
  21. race — humankind
  22. rush — hurry
  23. tube — a container
  24. bulb — of a plant

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