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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
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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: bear · trunk · bound · arm · bulb · temple · firm · degree

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. firm — a company
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. degree — from a university
  8. firm — steady
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. firm — decided
  18. bulb — for light
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bound — tied together
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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