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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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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: safe · cabinet · fall · bound · kid · straw · bulb · chip

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. kid — to tease
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bound — obliged
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. fall — the season
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. fall — to drop
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bound — certain
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bound — tied together
  23. kid — child
  24. straw — a straw man

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