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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.

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: temple · tear · branch · cue · sharp · hide · perch · rush

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. sharp — clever
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cue — for pool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rush — hurry
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. tear — from crying
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cue — a signal
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. cue — a hint
  21. branch — a division
  22. tear — to rip
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. sharp — with an edge

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