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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: drill · craft · bulb · racket · wave · stem · toast · temple

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. craft — a skill
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. toast — bread
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stem — to come from
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bulb — for light
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. drill — the tool
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. drill — army training
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. craft — boats
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. racket — for tennis

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