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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: kid · temple · coach · perch · cabinet · deal · last · mouse

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. perch — the fish
  7. kid — child
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kid — to tease
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. last — final
  24. deal — an agreement

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