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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: ball · temple · date · cap · bulb · spell · mug · rush

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. date — the fruit
  7. cap — a lid
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cap — of ice
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mug — a cup
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ball — a great time

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