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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: bulb · mate · band · fork · wound · tube · can · temple

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. can — a tin
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mate — a partner
  7. can — to be able to
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mate — to breed
  10. tube — the underground
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. tube — a container
  13. bulb — for light
  14. band — a ring
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mate — a friend
  18. band — a music group
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. can — a tin
  23. wound — an injury
  24. temple — a place of worship

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