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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.

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: chest · saw · temple · pass · pound · tube · bass · bulb

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pass — a permit
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bass — low music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bass — the fish
  10. saw — the tool
  11. tube — the underground
  12. chest — a box
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. tube — a container
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. tube — in a tire

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