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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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. prune — to trim
  4. present — the time now
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. present — a gift
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. last — final
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. perch — the fish
  11. last — to go on
  12. can — to be able to
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fork — in a road
  15. present — there
  16. can — a tin
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. can — a tin
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. last — finally
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fork — to eat with

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