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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: saw · safe · bulb · wind · fine · charge · file · degree

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. degree — from a university
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bulb — for light
  7. degree — an amount
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bulb — for light
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. charge — a price
  12. wind — moving air
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. charge — in control
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wind — moving air
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. fine — all right
  23. charge — electricity
  24. degree — temperature

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