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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: spring · nail · leaves · bulb · pitch · capital · perch · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. spring — the season
  3. perch — the fish
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. capital — a city
  9. pitch — completely
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. spring — of water
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. leaves — to go away

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