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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. hand — help
  13. cell — in biology
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. hand — in cards
  17. pass — a permit
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cell — a phone
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. temple — a place of worship

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