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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: cabinet · bulb · bound · sharp · board · staff · hand · shower

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. board — to get on
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. staff — employees
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. board — a committee
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. staff — employees
  19. bound — tied together
  20. staff — a stick
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  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