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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: bore · fan · wake · perch · staff · tear · temple · straw

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bore — to drill
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. tear — to rip
  6. staff — a stick
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. tear — from crying
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. staff — employees
  17. bore — to tire
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. temple — a place of worship

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