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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. kick — in football
  10. bank — for money
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. prune — to trim
  14. capital — a city
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. drill — army training
  19. bank — for money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. capital — money
  24. kick — a thrill

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