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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: rock · face · wave · bulb · temple · spell · date · jam

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. date — the fruit
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rock — music
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. face — to point toward
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rock — a stone
  16. spell — magic
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bulb — for light
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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