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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: patient · bulb · degree · land · temple · safe · spring · season

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bulb — for light
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bulb — for light
  5. land — a country
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. spring — a coil
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. land — ground
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. degree — an amount
  12. season — in sport
  13. spring — the season
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. degree — from a university
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. spring — of water
  21. season — of the year
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. land — to come down

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