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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: bulb · scale · temple · net · wave · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. last — to go on
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. scale — in music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. net — in sport
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. scale — size or range
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. last — final
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bulb — for light

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