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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: rest · ball · bulb · temple · fall · rash · snap · plane

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bulb — for light
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rash — a series
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rest — a break
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fall — the season
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fall — to drop
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rest — what's left
  24. snap — to click

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