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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: ball · bulb · wake · sharp · safe · cell · cabinet · hand

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bulb — for light
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wake — a trail
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bulb — for light
  9. hand — help
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cell — in biology
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cell — a phone
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cell — in a prison

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