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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 116 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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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: band · safe · rock · cabinet · bulb · race · snap · pound

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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 — out of danger
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. band — a ring
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. band — a music group
  9. race — humankind
  10. rock — music
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bulb — for light
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. race — a contest
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pound — a weight
  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