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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: bulb · can · shower · scale · branch · temple · pit · wave

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. can — a tin
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. branch — a division
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. can — a tin
  19. scale — in music
  20. pit — in a race
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. temple — side of the head

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