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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: dip · saw · bulb · bound · temple · scale · kid · coach

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bound — tied together
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bound — certain
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bound — obliged
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. scale — size or range
  14. saw — the tool
  15. dip — to sink
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. kid — child
  19. bulb — for light
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. saw — the tool
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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