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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · cell · spell · trunk · degree · game · march · bulb

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. spell — a short time
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. march — music
  6. cell — a phone
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spell — letters
  13. march — the month
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. degree — from a university
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. degree — temperature
  20. spell — magic
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. march — the month
  24. trunk — of a car

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