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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. board — to get on
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bound — certain
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bound — obliged
  14. board — a committee
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. fall — to drop
  18. perch — the fish
  19. fall — the season
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wake — a trail
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fall — to drop

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