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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: temple · season · toast · mark · perch · kick · squash · plane

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mark — a grade
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. season — in sport
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. squash — the sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. kick — in football
  14. season — of the year
  15. squash — to crush
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mark — a trace
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. perch — the fish
  22. plane — a tool
  23. kick — with a leg
  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