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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.

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: rock · clip · degree · fall · dip · safe · staff · bulb

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fall — the season
  4. staff — employees
  5. clip — to cut
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. staff — a stick
  8. clip — for paper
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bulb — for light
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. fall — to drop
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. dip — to sink
  17. staff — employees
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. rock — music
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. clip — a video
  24. rock — a stone

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