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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: safe · bore · fan · chair · cabinet · bulb · file · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. file — a tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. sharp — clever
  10. file — a document
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bore — to drill
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bore — to tire
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cabinet — ministers

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