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

Word bank: row · cell · bulb · swing · temple · pound

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cell — a phone
  8. row — a line
  9. swing — music
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pound — to hit hard

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