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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: fall · leaves · cabinet · kid · sharp · net · season · bulb

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. kid — to tease
  4. season — of the year
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. kid — child
  10. net — for catching
  11. fall — the season
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bulb — for light
  16. net — after costs
  17. season — in sport
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bulb — for light
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. net — in sport

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