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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: temple · chest · face · object · last · nail · cue · bulb

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. chest — a box
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cue — a hint
  7. last — to go on
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. last — final
  10. face — part of the head
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. object — a thing
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cue — for pool
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. object — to protest
  18. cue — a signal
  19. last — finally
  20. object — an aim
  21. face — to confront
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bulb — for light
  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