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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: cap · shower · bulb · present · temple · land · pass · saw

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. cap — of ice
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. land — ground
  10. present — a gift
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. land — a country
  14. cap — a lid
  15. saw — the tool
  16. present — the time now
  17. land — to come down
  18. shower — to wash
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bulb — for light
  22. present — there
  23. shower — rain
  24. cap — a hat

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