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

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. track — a song
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. cold — an illness
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mug — a face
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cold — not warm
  21. mug — a cup
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cold — the Cold War

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