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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cold · safe · bulb · plane · press · racket · rash · ball

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cold — an illness
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. press — newspapers
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. press — to push
  13. bulb — for light
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rash — a series
  24. cold — not warm

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