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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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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: bulb · branch · temple · ball · face · shower · perch · safe

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ball — a great time
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. shower — to wash
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. branch — a division
  13. face — to confront
  14. shower — rain
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. perch — the fish
  18. face — part of the head
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bulb — for light
  21. face — to point toward
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. ball — a round shape
  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