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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: stand · temple · saw · arm · capital · bulb · root · season

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bulb — for light
  3. capital — a city
  4. season — in sport
  5. saw — the tool
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. root — the cause
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. capital — money
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. root — of a plant
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — of the year
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stand — to bear

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