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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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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: bank · fine · dip · perch · cold · stand · swing · temple

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. cold — not warm
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. swing — music
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. swing — to play on
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cold — an illness
  11. fine — all right
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bank — for money
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bank — of a river
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bank — for money
  22. fine — high quality
  23. stand — to bear
  24. swing — in golf

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