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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.

Make a worksheet

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: row · fan · leaves · kick · mine · file · bulb · temple

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. file — a tool
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mine — for digging
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — for light
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. row — to paddle
  12. kick — in football
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. row — a line
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. file — a document
  24. leaves — to go away

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