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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a music group
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cell — in biology
  11. file — a document
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. file — a tool
  15. cell — a phone
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. band — a ring
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chest — a box
  24. wake — a trail

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