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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.

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: kid · bulb · patient · leaves · ground · temple · dip · march

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ground — the earth
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. kid — child
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. ground — a position
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bulb — for light
  12. march — music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. march — the month
  19. ground — crushed
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. march — the month
  23. bulb — for light
  24. leaves — lets stay

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