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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 · bound · wave · land · temple · snap · chair · calf

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. land — ground
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. snap — to click
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bound — certain
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. land — to come down
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bound — tied together
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. chair — a leader
  23. land — a country
  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