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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
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: pitcher · cabinet · bulb · leaves · sharp · clip · stand · plane

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. clip — for paper
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. clip — to cut
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. clip — a video
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bulb — of a plant

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