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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: safe · chip · can · straw · squash · shower · bulb · roll

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bulb — for light
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. squash — to crush
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a cake
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. shower — to wash
  19. can — to be able to
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. shower — rain

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