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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · ruler · deal · temple · cold · plane · sharp · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. deal — to handle
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bulb — for light
  12. game — a match
  13. cold — not warm
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. plane — a tool
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bulb — for light
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. game — wild animals
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. ruler — a monarch

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