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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: wake · safe · bulb · pound · dip · cap · date · wound

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cap — a lid
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cap — of ice
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. date — the fruit
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pound — a weight
  13. dip — to sink
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. date — on the calendar

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