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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: perch · temple · content · mate · spell · tear · suit · press

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. spell — a short time
  6. press — newspapers
  7. suit — to fit
  8. tear — from crying
  9. content — happy
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. perch — the fish
  15. tear — from crying
  16. suit — clothes
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. content — the amount
  19. spell — letters
  20. mate — a partner
  21. tear — to rip
  22. spell — magic
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. perch — for a bird

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