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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 120 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: wound · leaves · dip · lie · chest · bulb · cell · temple

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bulb — for light
  5. dip — to sink
  6. chest — a box
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cell — in biology
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. chest — of your body
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lie — an untruth

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