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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 120 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: temple · lean · perch · bulb · sharp · nail · bass · mark

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bass — the fish
  3. lean — thin
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bass — low music
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. lean — to bend
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bulb — for light
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. perch — the fish
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mark — a grade

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