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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.

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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: land · snap · temple · bound · fan · track · bulb · bark

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. land — a country
  4. bulb — for light
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bound — certain
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. track — a song
  14. land — to come down
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. land — ground
  19. bound — obliged
  20. snap — to click
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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