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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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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: temple · dip · wave · cell · bulb · bass · cap · cabinet

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bass — low music
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. dip — to sink
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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