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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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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: bay · key · temple · game · hand · leaves · rock · bulb

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. hand — in cards
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. game — wild animals
  7. rock — music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bulb — for light
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bulb — for light
  19. key — the most important part
  20. game — a match
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. key — in music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. hand — help

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