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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
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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: fall · spring · season · roll · temple · cold · lash · perch

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. roll — a list
  3. cold — not warm
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a cake
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fall — the season
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — of water
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. perch — the fish
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. season — in sport
  21. fall — to drop
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. spring — the season

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