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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: nail · perch · root · kick · march · net · lean · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. root — of a word
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. root — the cause
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. lean — to bend
  9. march — the month
  10. net — for catching
  11. march — music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lean — thin
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. root — of a plant
  18. march — the month
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. net — in sport
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. net — after costs
  23. kick — in football
  24. perch — the fish

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