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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: present · fall · bound · can · temple · bulb · object · scale

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bulb — for light
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. bound — obliged
  6. fall — the season
  7. present — there
  8. object — an aim
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bulb — for light
  11. present — the time now
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. can — a tin
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bound — tied together
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. can — a tin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bound — certain
  20. present — a gift
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. can — to be able to
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. scale — in music

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