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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 120 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: current · mouse · season · temple · root · bulb · scale · fall

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. season — of the year
  3. fall — to drop
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. current — happening now
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fall — the season
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. scale — in music
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. season — in sport
  16. root — the cause
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bulb — for light
  19. root — of a word
  20. scale — size or range
  21. fall — to drop
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. root — of a plant
  24. mouse — the animal

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