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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 · degree · rash · temple · kick · squash · bear · rest

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bulb — for light
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. degree — an amount
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bear — the animal
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bear — the animal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rest — a break
  17. degree — temperature
  18. kick — in football
  19. rest — what's left
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rash — hasty

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