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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: plane · craft · coach · bulb · temple · wound · club · cell

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. club — a group
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. craft — boats
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. club — for dancing
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cell — a phone
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wound — an injury
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wound — an injury
  19. plane — a tool
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. craft — a skill
  23. club — for golf
  24. plane — in geometry

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