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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  3. season — in sport
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. kick — in football
  6. last — final
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. last — to go on
  9. suit — in cards
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. last — finally
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bulb — for light
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bulb — for light
  19. saw — the tool
  20. season — of the year
  21. saw — the tool
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. perch — the fish
  24. kick — a thrill

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