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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: roll · swing · mark · bear · temple · bulb · stick · fall

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mark — a grade
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. swing — in golf
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bulb — for light
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. fall — to drop
  21. swing — music
  22. fall — the season
  23. roll — a cake
  24. fall — to drop

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