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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: file · scale · foot · last · temple · bulb · shower · drill

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. shower — rain
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. last — finally
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. file — a tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. scale — size or range
  13. drill — the tool
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bulb — for light
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. drill — a practice
  22. file — a line of people
  23. drill — army training
  24. file — a document

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