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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: hand · face · bowl · cell · temple · track · bulb · bear

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cell — in biology
  3. track — a path
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. track — a song
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — help
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. track — to keep track
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. cell — a phone
  21. face — to confront
  22. bear — the animal
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bulb — for light

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