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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.

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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: fork · snap · face · bulb · coach · temple · kick · tube

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. face — part of the head
  3. tube — a container
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. face — to point toward
  8. kick — in football
  9. fork — in a road
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bulb — for light
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. snap — to click
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. face — to confront

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