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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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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bound — certain
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bound — obliged
  10. cap — of ice
  11. perch — the fish
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — money
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cap — a hat
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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