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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: trunk · spring · temple · suit · wake · perch · ground · firm

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. spring — the season
  4. firm — a company
  5. suit — to fit
  6. spring — of water
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wake — a trail
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. firm — decided
  15. suit — clothes
  16. ground — crushed
  17. firm — steady
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. spring — a coil
  23. perch — the fish
  24. ground — a position

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