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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 · kid · hand · temple · spell · pitch · object · safe

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. hand — help
  3. kid — child
  4. bulb — for light
  5. object — to protest
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. spell — magic
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. object — an aim
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. temple — a place of worship

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