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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: present · hand · temple · club · mark · bulb · key · row

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. present — the time now
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. hand — help
  10. bulb — for light
  11. present — a gift
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. present — there
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. key — in music
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. row — a line
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. hand — in cards

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