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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bulb · arm · tube · hide · cold · track · coach · temple

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cold — not warm
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cold — an illness
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. track — to keep track
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. track — a path
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. tube — a container
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bulb — for light
  23. track — a song
  24. hide — to keep secret

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