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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 · charge · roll · patient · mug · saw · race · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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. race — a contest
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. race — the arms race
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. roll — a list
  11. mug — a cup
  12. race — humankind
  13. mug — to rob
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mug — a face
  16. saw — the tool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. charge — in control
  20. saw — the tool
  21. roll — a cake
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bulb — for light
  24. patient — a sick person

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