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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hand — help
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bank — of a river
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cue — a hint
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bank — for money
  12. cue — for pool
  13. capital — money
  14. rule — government
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bank — for money
  17. rule — a law
  18. cue — a signal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. capital — a city
  24. hand — in cards

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