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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.

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: pass · bore · rash · wound · temple · staff · perch · spell

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. perch — the fish
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pass — a permit
  5. spell — letters
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. bore — to drill
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. staff — employees
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rash — a series
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. spell — magic
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wound — an injury

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