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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: bay · drill · lash · temple · perch · ground · fan · nail

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ground — crushed
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. ground — the earth
  12. perch — the fish
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ground — a position
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — the tool
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lash — to lash out

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