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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: last · bowl · bay · perch · chest · rush · safe · temple

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. chest — of your body
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. last — to go on
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. last — final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. last — finally
  21. chest — a box
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chest — of your body
  24. safe — out of danger

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