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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: temple · perch · pitcher · rush · roll · hide · date · vault

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. perch — the fish
  5. vault — a safe
  6. roll — a list
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. roll — a cake
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rush — hurry
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rush — a thrill

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