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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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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. scale — in music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. spell — letters
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rock — music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. wake — a trail
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kick — in football

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