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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: kick · content · bulb · shower · row · safe · field · bay

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. shower — rain
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. kick — in football
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. content — the amount
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. shower — to wash
  11. field — a subject
  12. row — to paddle
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. field — farmland
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. content — happy
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bulb — for light
  23. row — a line
  24. field — for sport

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