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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: season · cap · temple · arm · bay · prune · row · perch

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. season — in sport
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. season — of the year
  9. row — to paddle
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. prune — to trim
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cap — of ice
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. row — a line
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cap — a hat
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cap — a lid

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