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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: cabinet · object · foot · capital · bore · temple · mate · bulb

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mate — a partner
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mate — a friend
  6. object — a thing
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mate — to breed
  11. capital — money
  12. foot — a measure
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bulb — for light
  15. object — an aim
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. capital — a city
  18. bore — to drill
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. object — to protest
  24. temple — side of the head

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