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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. staff — employees
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bulb — for light
  6. present — there
  7. plane — a tool
  8. staff — a stick
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. staff — employees
  17. present — a gift
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. present — the time now
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. perch — the fish
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. plane — an aircraft

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