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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: perch · nail · root · spring · row · temple · lie · wake

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. root — of a word
  4. spring — the season
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. spring — a coil
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. root — the cause
  18. row — to paddle
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spring — of water
  21. wake — a trail
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. row — a line
  24. lie — to recline

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