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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: jam · cell · bulb · rash · temple · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. cell — in biology
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bulb — for light
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rash — a series
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rash — hasty
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. toast — bread
  18. jam — a tight spot

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