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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
468
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: chair · prune · toast · tube · scale · bulb · bark · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. tube — a container
  3. chair — a leader
  4. toast — bread
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. prune — to trim
  8. scale — in music
  9. tube — the underground
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bulb — for light
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bulb — for light
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. scale — size or range
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. chair — to sit on

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