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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.

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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: band · nail · straw · face · temple · bulb · snap · perch

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. face — to point toward
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bulb — for light
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bulb — for light
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. perch — the fish
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. band — a ring
  16. face — to confront
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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