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

Word bank: file · can · mouse · swing · fine · perch · temple · hand

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. can — a tin
  3. fine — high quality
  4. swing — to play on
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fine — all right
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. perch — the fish
  10. swing — in golf
  11. hand — in cards
  12. can — to be able to
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. file — a line of people
  15. hand — help
  16. swing — music
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. file — a tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. file — a document
  24. mouse — for a computer

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