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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · bulb · ground · temple · toast · face

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cell — in biology
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cell — a phone
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. toast — bread
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. face — to confront
  18. toast — the most admired

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