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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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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: kid · rash · present · pass · bulb · band · safe · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bulb — for light
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rash — a series
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. present — there
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. band — a music group
  14. present — a gift
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rash — hasty
  17. kid — child
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. present — the time now
  22. swing — to play on
  23. band — a ring
  24. pass — a permit

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