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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: plane · pound · bass · bulb · temple · lie · chest · cell

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bulb — for light
  5. plane — a tool
  6. chest — a box
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bass — low music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lie — to recline
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — a weight
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. chest — of your body

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