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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: track · bulb · wound · tear · temple · chair · firm · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bulb — for light
  3. track — to keep track
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. tear — from crying
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. track — a song
  9. spring — of water
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. firm — a company
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. spring — the season
  14. tear — from crying
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. firm — steady
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bulb — for light
  21. firm — decided
  22. tear — to rip
  23. chair — a leader
  24. track — a path

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