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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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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: tube · lash · temple · bowl · bank · band · kid · bulb

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. kid — to tease
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. tube — a container
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bank — for money
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. bank — of a river
  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