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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: fine · cell · temple · cap · key · perch · spring · lie

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cap — a hat
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. perch — the fish
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. key — for a lock
  12. fine — all right
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — the most important part
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. cell — in biology
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lie — to recline
  21. key — in music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cell — in a prison

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