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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: pound · object · fine · perch · lash · arm · sharp · temple

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. object — an aim
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. perch — the fish
  10. fine — high quality
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. object — to protest
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fine — all right
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. object — a thing
  23. pound — a weight
  24. fine — a penalty

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