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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bulb — for light
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. board — a committee
  13. cap — a hat
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. board — to get on
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wind — moving air
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wind — moving air

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