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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 120 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: kick · perch · saw · scale · lie · track · temple · trunk

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lie — to recline
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. perch — the fish
  9. saw — the tool
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. scale — size or range
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. track — a path
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. scale — in music
  22. kick — in football
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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