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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 120 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: cabinet · staff · bulb · stem · leaves · sharp · ball · safe

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. staff — employees
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bulb — for light
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. staff — a stick
  14. sharp — clever
  15. staff — employees
  16. stem — to come from
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bulb — for light

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