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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 · key · kid · cap · stem · bat · bulb · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. key — in music
  6. kid — to tease
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. cap — a lid
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. staff — employees
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bat — the animal
  23. stem — to come from
  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