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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: key · wave · temple · snap · court · bulb · perch · calf

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. court — of law
  6. bulb — for light
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. court — of a king
  11. perch — the fish
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. key — in music
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to click
  19. bulb — for light
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. court — for sport
  24. key — the most important part

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