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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: drill · fine · bat · key · toast · rest · perch · temple

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. drill — army training
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. drill — the tool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. fine — all right
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fine — high quality
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. key — the most important part
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rest — a break
  21. toast — bread
  22. perch — the fish
  23. key — in music
  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