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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · perch · temple · sharp · trunk · can · dip · date

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. chair — a leader
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. can — to be able to
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. perch — the fish
  24. chair — a professorship

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