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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · temple · toast · season · perch · ball · drill · chair

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. season — in sport
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. toast — bread
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bulb — for light
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. drill — a practice
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. drill — army training

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