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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.

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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: bulb · cold · chair · scale · temple · rest · cabinet · content

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cold — not warm
  4. rest — a break
  5. chair — a leader
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. content — the amount
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — in music
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rest — what's left
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cold — an illness
  22. content — happy
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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