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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.

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: can · temple · mate · season · race · trunk · cold · bulb

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. can — to be able to
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cold — not warm
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mate — to breed
  13. season — in sport
  14. can — a tin
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bulb — for light
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. can — a tin
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cold — an illness
  24. mate — a partner

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