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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: snap · bulb · temple · wound · racket · toast · cell · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wound — an injury
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. cell — in biology
  11. snap — to click
  12. bulb — for light
  13. staff — employees
  14. bulb — for light
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. staff — employees
  18. toast — bread
  19. cell — a phone
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. racket — a loud noise

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