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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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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: race · mouse · temple · cell · bulb · fall · band · tube

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. race — humankind
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. band — a ring
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cell — in biology
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. tube — a container
  12. band — a music group
  13. fall — to drop
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bulb — for light
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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