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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kick · rush · safe · net · cold · track · bulb · arm

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. track — a path
  3. cold — an illness
  4. bulb — for light
  5. net — after costs
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. net — for catching
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cold — not warm
  14. net — in sport
  15. track — a song
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. kick — in football
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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