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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: current · bulb · sharp · arm · hand · straw · cabinet · staff

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. staff — a stick
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. staff — employees
  6. hand — in cards
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. staff — employees
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. hand — help
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. arm — part of the body

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