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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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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: racket · saw · lie · temple · deal · last · craft · perch

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. lie — to recline
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. saw — the tool
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. deal — to handle
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. last — to go on
  17. craft — a skill
  18. last — finally
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. craft — boats
  22. saw — the tool
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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