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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 · ground · suit · temple · mouse · key · fan · last

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. last — to go on
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. key — for a lock
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. suit — clothes
  11. last — finally
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ground — the earth
  17. last — final
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mouse — the animal

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