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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · bulb · key · net · charge · wave · temple · clip

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. net — for catching
  5. charge — electricity
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. charge — a price
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. charge — in control
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. clip — for paper
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. key — in music
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — to cut
  23. key — the most important part
  24. temple — side of the head

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