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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 120 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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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 · temple · bear · bulb · march · bound · degree · wound

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. wound — an injury
  7. march — the month
  8. bound — obliged
  9. degree — temperature
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. march — music
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bound — tied together
  19. march — the month
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bound — certain
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bear — the animal

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