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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. shower — rain
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. kick — in football
  21. fine — all right
  22. bulb — for light
  23. root — of a word
  24. bank — for money

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