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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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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: pop · bulb · leaves · temple · bat · fan · arm · chest

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chest — a box
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. chest — of your body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pop — to visit
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pop — soda
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. chest — of your body
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pop — music
  17. bat — the animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bat — for baseball
  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