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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: kid · cap · lie · saw · temple · bulb · wave · bank

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cap — a hat
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bank — for money
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bank — for money
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. lie — to recline
  24. saw — the tool

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