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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: calf · perch · pass · ground · stand · last · temple · hand

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ground — the earth
  5. hand — help
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ground — crushed
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. last — finally
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pass — a permit
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. perch — the fish
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. ground — a position
  22. last — final
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. last — to go on

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