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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: perch · mate · prune · foot · toast · nail · face · temple

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. prune — to trim
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mate — a partner
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. face — part of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. foot — a measure
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mate — a friend
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. toast — bread
  21. mate — to breed
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. nail — for a hammer

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