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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 116 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: board · fine · bulb · staff · ruler · lash · cabinet · cell

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cell — a phone
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. staff — employees
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cell — in biology
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  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