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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.

Make a worksheet

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: temple · scale · band · bulb · trunk · bass · face · tear

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bass — low music
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bass — the fish
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. face — part of the head
  11. band — a ring
  12. face — to confront
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. scale — size or range
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. band — a music group
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bulb — for light
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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