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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 120 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: suit · arm · ball · degree · wound · temple · bulb · rush

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. degree — from a university
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wound — an injury
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. ball — a great time
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. suit — clothes
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rush — hurry
  20. suit — to fit
  21. degree — temperature
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. temple — side of the head

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