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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: firm · bound · temple · mine · bank · hide · bulb · cap

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cap — a lid
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bulb — for light
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bank — for money
  10. firm — steady
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bulb — for light
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bank — for money
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bank — of a river
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. mine — for digging
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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