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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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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: deal · mouse · bulb · temple · calf · stand · mine · wind

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. temple — side of the head

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