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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: key · temple · saw · hide · bulb · patient · nail · scale

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. saw — the tool
  5. key — the most important part
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. scale — size or range
  11. saw — the tool
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bulb — for light
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. scale — in music
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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