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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 120 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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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: content · drill · deal · cap · fall · temple · stand · bulb

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. content — the amount
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bulb — for light
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. stand — to bear
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. content — happy
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fall — to drop
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fall — the season

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