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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. band — a ring
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. scale — in music
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. spell — letters
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stand — to bear
  15. object — an aim
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. spell — a short time
  18. scale — size or range
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. band — a music group
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. kick — in football
  23. spell — magic
  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