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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chip · wave · bat · bulb · safe · ball · firm · shower

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. ball — a great time
  15. chip — for betting
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — a company
  18. chip — to eat
  19. firm — steady
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bat — the animal
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bat — for baseball

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