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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: temple · scale · cap · bound · wake · bulb · lean · mine

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wake — a trail
  4. scale — in music
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bound — certain
  15. lean — to bend
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bound — obliged
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lean — thin
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bound — tied together

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