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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chair · hand · cabinet · stem · fall · wake · bore · bulb

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wake — a trail
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. hand — help
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. chair — a leader

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