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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: temple · fan · last · cold · safe · firm · object · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. object — a thing
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. firm — decided
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. firm — a company
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. cold — not warm
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. last — final
  16. cold — an illness
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. object — to protest
  19. last — to go on
  20. object — an aim
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. last — finally
  24. firm — steady

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