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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 116 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
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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: staff · fall · cabinet · fan · game · file · safe · coach

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. staff — employees
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. staff — a stick
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. staff — employees
  7. file — a tool
  8. game — a match
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fall — to drop
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. game — wild animals
  22. fall — the season
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. file — a line of people

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