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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.

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: roll · march · kick · staff · perch · spring · temple · file

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. roll — a list
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spring — the season
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. kick — in football
  11. staff — employees
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. march — the month
  14. staff — employees
  15. march — the month
  16. staff — a stick
  17. spring — a coil
  18. roll — a cake
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. spring — of water
  21. file — a line of people
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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