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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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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: bulb · present · wake · cap · temple · club · land · arm

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. present — there
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cap — a hat
  10. club — a group
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wake — a trail
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. land — to come down
  15. present — a gift
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. club — for dancing
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. present — the time now
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cap — a lid
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. club — for golf

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