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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: field · plane · bulb · degree · face · saw · temple · bound

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bound — certain
  8. plane — a tool
  9. field — for sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. degree — an amount
  13. face — to point toward
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. degree — from a university
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. face — part of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. degree — temperature
  20. face — to confront
  21. saw — the tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. saw — the tool
  24. field — farmland

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