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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: temple · fork · season · game · shower · mouse · perch · fall

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fall — to drop
  16. season — of the year
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. game — a match
  22. shower — rain
  23. season — in sport
  24. fall — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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