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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: nail · hand · firm · can · perch · temple · dip · suit

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. suit — clothes
  12. firm — decided
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. firm — steady
  16. suit — in cards
  17. dip — to sink
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. perch — the fish
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. suit — to fit
  23. can — to be able to
  24. temple — a place of worship

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