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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 · bulb · band · root · fan · ground · rush · arm

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bulb — for light
  6. band — a music group
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. band — a ring
  11. root — of a word
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rush — hurry
  16. root — the cause
  17. ground — crushed
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bulb — of a plant

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