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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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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: snap · stand · mouse · cabinet · temple · kick · lean · bulb

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kick — in football
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. snap — to click
  14. lean — thin
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bulb — for light
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bulb — for light

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