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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: perch · fine · arm · temple · pop · drill · cabinet · cell

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cell — in biology
  4. fine — all right
  5. drill — army training
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. pop — music
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pop — to visit
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cell — a phone
  17. perch — the fish
  18. fine — high quality
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. drill — the tool
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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