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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: temple · spell · cabinet · tube · mine · rule · bulb · cell

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cell — in biology
  3. spell — a short time
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rule — government
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rule — a law
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. tube — a container
  16. spell — magic
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bulb — for light
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. cell — a phone
  23. spell — letters
  24. cell — in a prison

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