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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.

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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: last · temple · rule · mug · ground · key · perch · tear

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mug — a face
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mug — a cup
  8. last — to go on
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ground — crushed
  13. last — final
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mug — to rob
  16. key — in music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. last — finally
  21. rule — a law
  22. perch — the fish
  23. tear — to rip
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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