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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · rash · trunk · pit · perch · temple

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. pit — a hole
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fall — to drop
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rash — hasty
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pit — in a race
  14. fall — to drop
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fall — the season

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