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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 120 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.

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: perch · shower · march · game · coach · suit · plane · temple

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. game — a match
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. suit — to fit
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. plane — a tool
  14. march — the month
  15. game — wild animals
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. suit — clothes
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. shower — to wash
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. perch — the fish
  23. shower — rain
  24. coach — a trainer

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