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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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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: bulb · straw · cabinet · safe · chip · fall · fork · lean

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. lean — to bend
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. fall — to drop
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. fork — in a road
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fall — the season
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lean — thin
  23. fall — to drop
  24. safe — out of danger

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