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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 120 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: cue · chest · press · saw · safe · kid · bulb · staff

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. staff — employees
  6. bulb — for light
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. press — a publisher
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cue — a hint
  12. press — to push
  13. cue — for pool
  14. chest — a box
  15. saw — the tool
  16. kid — to tease
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. kid — child

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