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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 120 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: foot · lash · mate · perch · safe · bore · temple · capital

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — to drill
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. capital — a city
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mate — a friend
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. perch — the fish
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mate — to breed
  18. foot — a measure
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — money
  24. foot — part of the body

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