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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: scale · temple · bulb · tube · mark · drill · hand · squash

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. drill — a practice
  10. hand — help
  11. mark — a trace
  12. drill — army training
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. hand — in cards
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bulb — for light
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. drill — the tool
  21. squash — to crush
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. hand — part of the body

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