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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 · sharp · rash · stand · field · bound · wake · temple

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. field — farmland
  8. perch — the fish
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. field — a subject
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. field — for sport
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stand — to bear

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