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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: dip · track · rash · wound · safe · bulb · court · straw

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rash — a series
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bulb — for light
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bulb — for light
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rash — hasty
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. court — of law
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. track — a path
  21. court — of a king
  22. wound — an injury
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wound — an injury

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