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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wound — an injury
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. net — for catching
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fork — in a road
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wound — an injury

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