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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 116 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: bulb · wound · game · ground · lie · land · rest · safe

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. land — ground
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. land — to come down
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rest — what's left
  13. land — a country
  14. ground — a position
  15. game — wild animals
  16. ground — the earth
  17. game — a match
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bulb — for light
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rest — a break

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