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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: cabinet · temple · perch · last · file · lean · drill · net

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. net — after costs
  3. file — a tool
  4. net — in sport
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — finally
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. drill — army training
  10. last — final
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. drill — the tool
  13. perch — the fish
  14. file — a document
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lean — to bend
  19. file — a line of people
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. net — for catching
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. drill — a practice

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