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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 120 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: can · cell · bulb · spell · mate · snap · tube · safe

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. spell — letters
  5. mate — a friend
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bulb — for light
  8. can — a tin
  9. tube — a container
  10. cell — in biology
  11. mate — a partner
  12. can — a tin
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. tube — the underground
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. cell — a phone
  17. snap — to click
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spell — magic
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. mate — to breed
  24. can — to be able to

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