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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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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: cell · rash · file · cue · bulb · fall · temple · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fall — to drop
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fall — the season
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. chest — a box
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cue — for pool
  16. file — a document
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. file — a tool
  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