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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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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: bound · march · fork · plane · perch · temple · cell · cue

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cue — for pool
  6. plane — a tool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fork — in a road
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bound — certain
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bound — obliged
  15. march — the month
  16. bound — tied together
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. march — music
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. cue — a hint
  24. perch — for a bird

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