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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: temple · squash · pit · lie · bound · perch · drill · dip

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. drill — the tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pit — a hole
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pit — in a race
  12. perch — the fish
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bound — certain
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. drill — a practice
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. drill — army training
  24. dip — to sink

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