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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 120 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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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: row · board · perch · saw · snap · band · temple · calf

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. board — a committee
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. band — a ring
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. saw — the tool
  13. row — to paddle
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. row — a line
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. band — a music group
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. board — to get on
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. saw — the tool
  23. snap — to click
  24. calf — a young animal

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