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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: saw · arm · root · temple · perch · bore · fall · march

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. march — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fall — the season
  7. root — of a word
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. saw — the tool
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. march — the month
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. root — of a plant
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. perch — the fish
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bore — to tire
  21. march — the month
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. root — the cause
  24. fall — to drop

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