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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bound — tied together
  4. band — a music group
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bound — certain
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bulb — for light
  24. sharp — exactly

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