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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: cabinet · bulb · cold · field · pass · bank · staff · clip

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. field — for sport
  4. cold — not warm
  5. staff — employees
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. clip — to cut
  8. field — a subject
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bank — for money
  11. staff — employees
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pass — a permit
  14. field — farmland
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bank — for money
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. clip — a video
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bank — of a river

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