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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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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: temple · fall · wake · chip · ruler · board · can · bulb

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bulb — for light
  7. can — to be able to
  8. board — to get on
  9. fall — the season
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fall — to drop
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. fall — to drop
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. can — a tin
  17. board — a committee
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chip — for betting
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bulb — for light
  24. can — a tin

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