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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 120 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
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: field · lie · bulb · tube · root · plane · safe · mate

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bulb — for light
  3. field — farmland
  4. lie — to recline
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. root — of a word
  8. mate — a friend
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. tube — a container
  16. field — a subject
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mate — a partner
  19. root — the cause
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mate — to breed
  24. field — for sport

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