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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
468
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: fork · cabinet · staff · bulb · capital · dip · lean · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. staff — employees
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. capital — money
  10. staff — employees
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lean — to bend
  14. drill — army training
  15. lean — thin
  16. drill — the tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. capital — a city
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bulb — for light
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. staff — a stick

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