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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: bark · temple · perch · bulb · rash · cabinet · band · saw

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. perch — the fish
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. band — a music group
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rash — a series
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. band — a ring
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. saw — the tool
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bulb — for light
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bulb — of a plant

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