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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: rash · rush · safe · lean · chair · cabinet · stem · bulb

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rush — hurry
  11. chair — a leader
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stem — to come from
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lean — thin
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cabinet — ministers

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