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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spring · wave · fall · net · perch · jam · temple · ball

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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. net — after costs
  4. fall — to drop
  5. spring — the season
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. spring — of water
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. ball — a great time
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. net — for catching
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fall — the season
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. fall — to drop
  23. net — in sport
  24. ball — a dance

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