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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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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: drill · cold · can · perch · temple · stick · cabinet · row

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. row — a line
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. can — a tin
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cold — not warm
  9. can — a tin
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cold — an illness
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. drill — army training
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. drill — a practice
  20. perch — the fish
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. row — to paddle
  23. drill — the tool
  24. cabinet — ministers

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