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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · hide · stick · ball · temple · nail · band · bulb

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bulb — for light
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. band — a music group
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ball — a dance
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ball — a great time
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. band — a ring

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