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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: temple · swing · bowl · hand · drill · perch · bark · key

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. key — in music
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bark — to shout
  5. swing — in golf
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. hand — in cards
  9. drill — army training
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. swing — music
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. hand — help
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. key — for a lock
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. temple — side of the head

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