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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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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: bulb · mate · rule · perch · present · vault · wind · temple

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mate — a friend
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wind — moving air
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. present — a gift
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wind — moving air
  11. present — there
  12. rule — government
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mate — a partner
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. present — the time now
  22. rule — a law
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. temple — a place of worship

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