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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: game · lie · hide · temple · squash · club · bulb · perch

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. perch — the fish
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. game — wild animals
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. lie — to recline
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. club — a group
  17. game — a match
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. squash — the sport
  24. temple — a place of worship

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