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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: spring · fall · temple · bowl · perch · cell · safe · dip

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. spring — a coil
  3. perch — the fish
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. dip — to sink
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cell — in biology
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cell — a phone
  15. spring — the season
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fall — the season
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. spring — of water
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cell — in a prison

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