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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: pitcher · temple · pit · file · face · firm · bulb · hand

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. file — a document
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hand — help
  11. file — a tool
  12. face — to point toward
  13. firm — a company
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. firm — decided
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pit — in a race
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. firm — steady

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